Beach Party in December

Can you believe we were at the beach in December? The weather was COLD last week. One night we had a low of 48 degrees, but yesterday the weather was gorgeous! It was around 80 degrees and our little friend, Kaelin (pictured in the front next to Adele) turned 4 and wanted for her birthday to play on the beach. So, we got together and had a big time on the beach. We made a drip castle, ate two bite cupcakes and sang happy birthday. The kids also had a blast.

Pictured here is Adele with her friend, Selah. Can you tell them apart? We often get our girls confused with their blond hair...and they're about a month apart in age as well.

Here we are making a drip castle which later turned into a drip cake and Kaelin blew out a drip candle! Big fun...how I thank God for new friends.

rocking around (this one is for the grandparents!)

happenings and new things

It's been a crazy busy couple of weeks around here! Between birthdays, Thanksgiving, decorating for Christmas, outings with friends and then just normal life there hasn't been much time left for blogging. I have snapped a few pictures though.

Earlier this week we celebrated my 31st birthday. We actually did the celebrating at my in-laws on Sunday. Paul got me this cool candle for my birthday (I've been waiting patiently to buy the perfect candle with hopes of getting one for my birthday or Christmas). This candle is a WoodWick candle and it actually has a wood wick, it's soy, smells like pine and it even crackles as it burns...like a real fire! It's fun and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I burn it whenever I am home. I love the smell and the coziness it brings to my kitchen!

On my actual birthday I tried my hand at (for the first time ever) making an evergreen wreath to hang on our door. PJ asked a couple weeks ago if we could get a wreath, and I told him I wasn't sure (because of how expensive I remembered them being). Well, we bought our tree the other day and Paul cut off all the bottom branches so I decided to make a wreath from the cuttings. I don't think it's perfect, but it'll do. I love the smell it gives off when we enter and leave the house...it's so fun!

And, Kim at Little by Little posted the other day about Advent and how it always catches her off guard. I agree, by the way. I am always fumbling around and don't realize when the first Sunday of Advent is and then I realize it, usually on THE day and by then it's too late to get started...but I do start late! So, this year we broke out our Jesse Tree book and chart three days later. It worked out since I have three kids and they all want to color the cut out. For the past three years that we've done the Jesse Tree I simply photo copied the "cut outs" and had the kids color them and then we hung them on the tree. Since we're now Stateside, I decided this year to actually cut out the cut outs and paste them onto the tree. I like having the tree displayed in our kitchen, with a constant reminder of Advent. We look at The Advent Book every year. This book is a lot of fun. Each page has a door that you are to open each day starting on December 1. And behind each door is a beautifully illustrated picture from the story of the birth of Jesus along with Scripture from Luke 2. It's is highly anticipated every night before bedtime! Last night, however, I forgot to put the book up and my little 3 almost 4 year old (you know the one) looked ahead and opened some more of the doors! Whoops. =)

Over Thanksgiving we traveled to Orange Park and had a weekend long of feasting with the Henry clan. There were 21 of us for Thanksgiving, including my cousin Jesse and his wife who are also living in central Florida. It was WONDERFUL seeing him and meeting his new bride. I am sorry to say that I forgot to get a picture of them...I didn't take one picture over the weekend and I wish I had because we also roasted chestnuts over an open fire! Can you believe it? I know, I know. In case you were wondering, they are very good...and I would recommend doing it if you have chestnuts and an open fire!

So, these are the happenings of late. Paul is in his final days of seminary studies for this semester so your prayers are greatly appreciated as he takes finals and finishes up a paper or two. God has been incredibly good to him and is stretching his mind as well as growing both of us in understanding this life in Christ. Thank you, until next time I hope that each of you who read this blog will find many moments of quiet reflection on the great Giver of Life and Grace during this season.