Life with my sister

As I think I've told you, we live in a small house. So small that we don't have much room for furniture in the living room. And our kitchen is so very small there is no room for decoration. So, our Christmas decorating has to be at a minimum this year. Minimum! We have a sofa table that can be decorated and that is it. IT. I can't believe it, but its true. I, like you I'm sure, have tubs and tubs of Christmas decorations. This year I've had to decide what to decorate with. I usually have a table with Santa's and snowmen. A table with my Christmas villages that Stephen bought me the second year we were married, it's the kids favorite. I decorate something, a table or mantle with garland and solid color ornaments. Don't get me wrong. My house never, ever looks as grandly decorated as Abby's. We are sisters but somehow I missed out on the decorating gene. But I do like to make the house look festive for Christmas. I owe my kids that, right? We...

Since I share so much about my life on this blog, I decided to tell you one of my quirks. It's odd, but brings me so much joy. I love to step on acorns. See I told you. Odd. The tree in our front yard is huge and just full of little acorns. I've been happy all fall! I enjoy walking to the mailbox just so I can step on them. My friend Nomi knows of my great love and brought me a basket full of them. She gave them to me quite a while ago, the basket was about full, I've stepped on most of them! I love to hear the crunch under my feet. I try not to think about the squirrels that aren't able to use them to store up for the winter. I don't see many skinny squirrels, so I think they are making out just fine despite the shortage of whole acorns in my yard! So, do you have any quirks? Do you like to step on acorns? Please tell!! Julie 

This picture is not the best, but it is priceless to me. This was Henry's first reaction to our den Christmas tree the night before Thanksgiving. He had not seen it turned on until then. He was in awe. He pointed to Mickey Mouse, the photos of us, etc and would say "look Daddy!". It was precious. I love the innocence. Black Friday afternoon I rolled back into town and the first thing we did was make this gingerbread train. Randall said he had been asking for it all day and they had it laid out waiting on me. We turned on Christmas music and put on our hats and got busy.  Henry was excited about all the candy in the box but did not participate in the making of it too much. He ended up eating Christmas colored Goldfish while I made our train. It is an act of love, that is for sure. The reaction from Henry was worth all the green fingernail beds and sticky hands. We have it displayed on our kitchen counter. He checks on it often.  Henry also checks on ...

We spent Thanksgiving weekend at Silver Dollar City in Branson. The entire park is lit up and decorated for Christmas. One of our favorite parts of SDC at this time of year is the train ride. During the rest of the year, the train stops 1/2 way through and "robbers" rob the train. But during Christmas, this man tells the REAL Christmas story. He even pauses and gives the people time to pray. Awesome!  This is David and Daniel at their best. The train ride had a 40 minute wait (and that was at its shortest), so they got a little silly. I love it! Friday, Stephen, Daniel, David and Anna, went down into Marvel Cave. Samuel and I walked around the park. It was such a fun time with him. I don't get much one on one time with Samuel anymore, so this was an hour I treasured. We laughed and had a good time! Thanks for waiting around for my pics! Love ya'll! Julie

My little loves and I headed to my Aunt Babs and Uncle Joe's for Thanksgiving. She is my Daddy's sister and my second mama. She loves me like her very own. I lived in their home on and off in college, and then after I graduated I lived with them until I got married. They are my "people". Henry had fun celebrating Thanksgiving at school this year. He did his "Turkey in my belly time" dance at his class party and all throughout Thanksgiving day. He was most precious and had lots of hats to wear, as you can see. It was cute and fun times. I loaded up some fabulous cookies made by a new cookie girl in town, along with the dressing and pumpkin pies I made, and headed over the mighty Mississippi . We left early T'day morning to watch the parade and cook with Hollye. My cousin Hollye lives across the street from Babs and Joe (her parents). It is a wonderful arrangement. She is an only child and like a sister to Jules and me. We are a lot a lik...

We spent Thanksgiving in Branson this year. We enjoyed lunch at Golden Corral with about 300 of our closest friends. HA! I had made turkey and dressing Monday night so we weren't craving a traditional meal, Stephen and I ate steak. It was delish. We spent Thursday evening and Friday at Silver Dollar City. I know I've praised SDC before, but it really is the greatest place. They are intentional about telling the "real" Christmas story,and the whole place is decorated and lit up. We all have such a great time. We did a little shopping but I've decided that the crowds of black Thursday/Friday are just not for me. We went shopping around 9 o'clock Friday morning and had fun with less people. I had pictures to post but for some reason I can't get them to load. UGH!! if I can figure it out, I'll post them. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Julie

Henry shakes his booty and sings "Turkey in my belly time. Turkey in my belly time" and it is the cutest thing.  He is so ready to go to Aunt Babs' house and eat turkey this week. He asks everyday, "Today we go to Aunt Barbara's and eat turkey?" He also thinks Santa Claus is going to be there. He is a touched confused. I love my Henry Patton. He makes me smile. Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping with my Babs is one of my favorite things. I am itching to get across the bridge and get the fun started! I switched my gym membership from crossfit to the regular ole gym. I had a little injury and it has caused me to step back from the heavy lifting and such for a while. I actually love my early mornings on the eliptical machine. I have this song on my playlist. I found myself singing it outloud this morning. I looked in the mirror wall in front of me to find the trainer and 2 ladies he was working with grinning. I am sure it was not very pretty, but...

Friday was Stephen's last day at Wings To Go. Instead of saying that he was quiting, he called it retirement. I guess he doesn't want to return to the restaurant/cooking business. This was the fortune in my fortune cookie at lunch on Friday. How appropriate! We are so grateful for Wings To Go. This job was an answer to prayer. I know i've told the story here before but let me tell you again. One of the local pastors, in a deacons prayer meeting, asked for prayer for Stephen as he looked for a job. A couple of days later one of the deacons called the pastor and said he had a job for Stephen. WOW! The restaurant business wasn't anything Stephen had ever worked in, but Wade gave him a managerial position. God is so super good! Stephen is now doing music at another church in town and teaching a Sunday School class. This will take the place, financially, of the restaurant. YAY!!!! So there's an update on Stephen. I think I'm caught up on the family. Now, bac...

My boys and I loved Shreking The Halls at ICE! in Nashville this past weekend. We drove over to soak up the sights and sounds of Christmas at the Opryland Hotel. We had SO much fun at ICE!. I think you can tell by our Christmas size grins in the above picture.  Randall and I went to this in 2003, our first married Christmas. This nativity was the same as it was then. I love that they put it in a room by itself and it is the last thing you see as you walk through. It is beautiful, just beautiful! I especially love the light under Jesus. Just perfect! I had a ball going down the ice slides. Randall and Henry just watched me partake in the fun and did not join me. Henry loved mama going up and down.  It was a cold, fun time.    Shrek came out the year we fell in love. It is one of "our movies", as sad as that seems, it is true. We bought it and watched it so much we memorized it. Donkey has always been our fave. I loved the Shrek themed ICE! this year,...

We went to a Fall Festival at church for Halloween. It was a fun time for everyone. They had lots of games, prizes, hot dogs and even caramel apples! I just took a picture of these three because Samuel didn't dress up. I don't blame him! Anna wore my cheerleading uniform from my 9th grade year at Kimmons Jr. High. Go Raiders! David went as Daniel and Daniel went as David. We had the most fun with it. They wore each other's clothes, shoes and even styled their hair like the other one. I stayed confused most of the night! I mentioned the other day that Samuel is playing basketball. David and Daniel are also playing and Stephen is the assistant coach. When I noticed all my boys were sitting on the bench at the same time I had to take a picture. I mean, how cute is that? Daniel had hurt his foot and wasn't playing in that game, Samuel was actually wearing Daniel's game shorts because I had ordered too big of a size for Sam. If he had worn his own, he would h...

Well, we are doing so much better than we were one year ago today! We are tear free, have a plan, and are in a home we will spend Christmas in. One year ago today, friends we thought we had, proved to be anything but friends. We had a different view of church and its people, and we had decorated for Christmas. This year we have new friends that can't take a job or our home from us. We have been loved by a church family, and we have not decorated for Christmas. We have been first hand witnesses to God's provision, mercy and love this past year. Our children have seen the goodness in God's people, and have made good friends. Stephen has worked a job that required him to acquire skills he never thought about having. And he did it with a smile on his face and a great attitude. He never complained, or whined. He has been such an example to me. Thank you for your prayers this past year. We couldn't have made it without them. There were days that we should have turne...

I love to read blogs. I've been reading some of the same ones for years. I feel like I know these people personally, it's the weirdest thing. When Matt Turner died, I cried. I had read his wife's blog  for the last couple of years, it was as if I knew her, I just wanted to call her or go to her and hug her neck. You're the same way, right? Ok, good! I wanted to share with you a few blogs I've recently discovered. They're fashion blogs. I'm a nerd when it comes to fashion, I'd still be wearing mom jeans if Abby hadn't called me out on it a few years ago. Well that and if they sold them anymore. But since I've found Pinterest I have fallen in love with fashion. (Full disclosure: I'm writing this while wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt that says I'm the Mom that's why!) So, here are a few that I like to visit daily. Sheaffer is a funny girl that is all about fashion. She finds a pin on Pinterest and recreates it from clothes from...

I have to brag on Sam a bit. He is embracing his freshman year of high school. He's smack dab in the middle of his teen years and doing well. Don't get me wrong, we have our days. But overall, things are good. This picture is of him in a hat that his friend Abi made him. (Abi is also pictured) Abi's mom is my friend Nomi, they came over a couple of weeks ago and made chicken tacos. Oh my, they were good! A couple of weeks ago the church we are attending had Judgement House. Judgement House is a story that is played out in a series of rooms. Samuel was an extra in one of the scenes. He didn't have any lines, but he was committed to being an extra. After the first weekend, the key actor in the scene Samuel was in had a death in the family and he had to be gone for the 2nd weekend. The directors asked Samuel to step up in the role. The role was an important one in the production. It was the first and only time the gospel was presented in the scenes. I was so proud ...

Today as I set out bright and early to cast my ballot I was rejected. Kicked out of line. Booted out of the precinct... Ok, so it wasn't that dramatic, but it felt that way. Our county's election officials did a poor job of preparing for this HUGE election and I am proof.  I showed up where I always vote to be told I was not in the system and not registered to vote. My name was not in their book and the officials on the phone had no record of me. It reminded me of the scene in Heavens Gates, Hells Flames when their name is not in the Lamb's book of life. Ok, maybe that is a bit dramatic, but I was hacked! I quickly mouthed off something about being a working taxpayer and yes, I would vote come heck or high water. I did pity the sweet woman helping me. Her name was Linda Lou. Bless her heart. Any who, after a few phone calls to the courthouse, taking deep breaths, and sharing my story to anyone who had ears, I placed my vote in the opposite side of town in a run down n...

Our little cowboy was ready to giddy up on Halloween. We ate a festive supper with friends and trick or treated with them. We decorated our wagon for our recouping little horse to ride in. He is still not 100% from his surgery, but we are getting closer every day, thankfully. Henry loved trick or treating. He would walk up to the doors and say "trick or treat" and then say "Thank you". He was the cutest cowboy I ever saw! After we trick or treated with our friends we headed to our little street and pulled our tired cowboy in the lawn wagon. We did the same thing last year and he loved it. He scored so much candy. Please come over and eat some with us?! Randall and I went as something...not sure what. He says "white trash" and I sort of agree. I sported my wig and he sported a mustache from a Halloween goodie bag I received at work. It was hilarious. Henry and his little buddies enjoyed passing out candy as much as they did re...