Christmas Day

Christmas day was wonderful. I was sad to realize moments ago as I downloaded all of our pictures from the past week or two, that I didn't photograph much Christmas day. But then again, sometimes it's nice to just sit back and enjoy.

The kids woke up right around the crack of dawn Christmas morning. They came in to get us so we could go downstairs to see what Santa had brought. For Abby, he brought an Easy Bake oven that she had REALLY been wanting. For Carson, he brought a Leapster 2. Shortly after, Ammie and Poppy came over for the opening of gifts and Christmas brunch. I've really enjoyed this new tradition of the past few years. I have such fond memories of my Grandma and Grandpa spending Christmas morning with us as kids, and I'm so happy Abby and Carson will have similar memories.

Mid-day, we all headed over to Ammie and Poppy's house to celebrate Christmas there. It was great spending the day with family, eating good food (prime rib, as per Powers family Christmas tradition), and having lots of fun. I couldn't be more blessed!

An Update [12.22.10]

I had planned on 2010 being the year that I was ahead of the game. I planned on being "done" with all things work related when the kids were out of school so that I could relax and play and cook and shop and have fun with them and my holidays would be stress free. Well, you know (because I'll bet you set the same goals) how that played out!

Really, I don't know that the past couple weeks have been too stressful, just busier than I had planned. But overall, it's been great, and we've made some happy memories.

-Carson's Christmas Party - Last Thursday was Carson's Christmas party at MDO. They shared a Christmas meal together and then exchanged gifts. When he opened his gift (below -- what are those things called, anyway?!), he shouted, "I've been wanting this for my whole life!!!"

- Abby's Christmas Party also happened to be my first official duty as Room Mom. With the help of Abby's wonderful teacher, Mrs. Conklin, and some other super moms, we were able to pull together a fun party for the kids. We decorated cookies, ate, and at the end painted their noses red (which they thought was so very cool).

- MY Christmas Present - I broke all my rules and gave Aaron his Christmas present (a Kindle) a month ago. We normally don't really even do gifts for eachother at Christmas, but he had been dying to get one, so I thought I'd get it for him. I wasn't expecting to get anything in return. There just wasn't anything I wanted that bad -- or so I thought. Last night before dinner, Aaron quietly (but full of excitement) told me, "I got you a present." I had no idea what to expect, but I was intrigued! So... when we got home last night and he asked if he could give me my present now, of course I told him yes. And look what I got! A KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Oh. My. Gosh. "I've been wanting this my whole life!!!"

- So... naturally, today I made bread... so that I could use my dough hook. Easy. Tasty. And it makes my house smell oh so good. Yay for bread.

- Speaking of tasty yumminess. Our friends, Josh and Kelly, took us out to dinner for Christmas Monday night. They asked us to meet them over at the Quarry. And where did they take us??? Fleming's Steakhouse (a.k.a. the nicest restaurant I have ever been to in my whole life). Ah-maz-ing. Everything was delicious and amazing and wonderful and awesome. In addition to that, we were easily amused by the fact that they asked us things like, "Would you like bottled water or is the house water fine?" and, "Are the white napkins okay, or would anyone prefer a dark napkin?" Or when they'd do things like rush around and apologize when the "chilled forks" didn't arrive with our salads. I think our favorite of the night though was that when one of us would get up to go to the restroom or something and leave the napkin on the table or chair, the waiter would come by and neatly fold it for us. Then of course, it became a game, where we'd fold it, but then just make it a little bit off to see if he'd come fix it. (He did.) Okay, clearly we don't belong in establishments like this! It was an amazing night though, not only for the food, but the company. So blessed to have such great friends!

-My computer crashed last week. Hard drive. It wasn't even two years old. Was really bummed and it set me about a week behind in my work, but all is well now.

-I just found out that I got voted in the top 10 wedding photographers (in the San Antonio/South Texas area) for The Knot's Best of Weddings 2011! I'm pretty super excited about that one.

-Went out and spent a day with Sandy and her friend Jen from New York taking pictures just for the fun of it, and it felt great! Hope to be doing this more often.

-Packed up the kids one evening, went to Starbucks, and drove around looking at Christmas lights. We did this last year and it seems to be a fun little tradition.

-The kids and I are heading out in the morning for a super quick trip up to Dallas so we can be at Christmas Eve at Nanny and Pawpaw's. It makes for a lot of driving, but I'm really excited to get to see them and all my cousins, aunts, and uncles. I have a pretty amazing family and I'm always happy to see them.

Hope you all have a very merry Christmas!

The Weekend

This weekend was busy and tons of fun! Friday night Aaron and I went to a Christmas dinner hosted for the leaders at RCCC. Dinner was delicious and we got to sit with good friends and enjoyed the evening.

Saturday morning was dress rehearsal for the musical. The kids worked hard and had fun. The rest of the day was spent prepping for company. My mom and dad came down for the weekend to see the kids' musical. Which was fabulous. Abby and Carson were both in the "Ornament Chorus" and got to be up on the front row through the whole musical. They both did a great job, though Carson didn't do any of the moves or dancing. It was hilarious! He told me afterwards that this was due to the fact that his costume was somewhat restrictive. :) They were both thrilled that the whole family turned out to see them, and we were all so proud of them!

This morning before Mom and Dad headed back, Dad and Aaron (naturally) had to go play a few holes of golf, and Mom, Carson, and I (naturally) had to go peruse the antique shops in Helotes. It was a lot of fun. Always good having them in town. Abby and I spent the afternoon wrapping gifts, and tonight is our small group Christmas party. It's going to be a crazy week with class parties, finishing/delivering client orders, and the like, but it's exciting! I love the Christmas season!

Tired

Sundays are always long days, but finally, the kids are in bed and all is quiet. The past week has been a little crazy with everyone being sick all, and I think Abby was feeling it tonight. Just before bed in the midst of all the "go upstairs and get ready for bed, brush your teeth, etc." routine, she just broke down sobbing. As I went to sit down with her and give her a big hug, she cried and said, "I think I'm just exhasted. All this running up and down the stairs and then I had an extra musical practice today that I wasn't really expecting, and I've just been working so hard. And I'm worried that I won't be able to go to sleep, and then my tooth hurts and I haven't been brushing my teeth as much as I should and I might have a cavity... and I just don't know what to do because I'm exhausted and I just feel like being mad at everybody, but I don't want to, and I want to make good choices, but I feel like all I'm doing is making the bad ones, and I'm just so exhausted, Mommy." I just smiled and hugged her tight and assured her that everyone feels that way sometimes. Then we prayed together and tried to focus on the good things in life for a while.

I can relate all too well. When life gets crazy, I can get overwhelmed, which only leads me to strive and wear myself out more, which leads me to worry and fear, which leads me to sin and anger and flat out exhaustion. What do I do when I find myself there? Where do I go? More often than not, I just do my best to keep carrying everything on my back, trudge on, or just wallow for a while. Tonight was a reminder, though, that I have a Father whose arms are always ready and waiting to hold and comfort me.

I am reminded of my absolute favorite passage in Scripture

Psalm 73

23 Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever.

Christmas Decor

Last night after dinner we decided to decorate for Christmas. We got out the tree, put the wreath on the door, and hung the stockings. I wasn't in my best mood when we started, but as we hung ornaments and listened to Christmas music, and I watched the kids dancing around like wild banshees joyfully, I was reminded just how lucky I am. Not only for a great family, but for all that Christmas means.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

One of the things I was most excited about when it came to Christmas decor, was having large windows in the living room so the Christmas tree could be seen from the street. Once the tree was decorated and the kids were in bed, I was so excited. I grabbed Aaron to come out in the front yard with me to see what our beautiful tree looked like from the outside.

All the anticipation, and then I realized...

there's a column smack in front of our middle window. Ha!

Thanksgiving Two [2010]

Our second Thanksgiving officially took place on Sunday, but my parents, sister, and niece and nephew came in on Friday and stayed for the weekend. It was so nice having them all around, and even though I had to work the bulk of Saturday, we had a lot of fun. All of the kids had so much fun playing together... and I think my Mom and Dad were in heaven getting all that time with the grandkids. I also took every chance I got to snuggle with sweet little Andre, so is so adorable when he smiles that it's almost painful. Sunday my mom and I cooked all morning and it was so much fun! The menu? Smoked turkey, dressing, Parker House rolls, green bean casserole, butternut squash, and pumpkin and pecan pies. Yum.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Sharing food, laughter, and time together with family is priceless. Unfortunately, it looks like we shared a little more than that. We appear to have shared a stomach bug, and it looks like a good number of us are sick. Still a great and memorable weekend though!

I feel bad that I didn't take many pictures over the weekend. I guess I got carried away with all the cooking, etc!

Thanksgiving One [2010]

Thanksgiving this year was wonderful.

We were lucky enough to celebrate Thanksgiving twice this year. Our first was on Thanksgiving Day with Aaron's family. We always have a great time together, and it would've been wonderful with just the 10 of us, but this year, we had one more -- Poppy's brother, Uncle Larry. Neither the kids or I had gotten to meet him before, so this was a very special treat that made for a really wonderful day.

On the menu was prime rib, among many other delicious dishes. After stuffing ourselves silly, we sat around and talked and laughed, took lots of pictures (between Sandy and I) and watched Bella and Millie chase each other around and make friends. I couldn't have asked for a better day, and I'm so thankful for such a great family!

A New Family Member

We got a puppy.

We did not begin our weekend with plans to end up with a dog, but alas... when your husband says he's just going to stop to peek at some cute puppies for sale in a parking lot, just know... once you've picked up a puppy and been covered with little puppy kisses, you're a gonner.

We didn't get one of those puppies, but spent the rest of the weekend just "looking" at puppies and getting ideas for a possible Christmas present. And then we found her. And she cast her spell on everyone -- her and her floppy little ears. We just "had" to have her. So here she is.

Meet Bella. Abby got to name her. She's quiet and mellow and lets the kids carry her around all day. She's playful and adorable, and she seems to be fitting in quite nicely. I'm sure this is not the last you'll be seeing of Bella around here. Here are her first "portraits". :)

This Week... [11.07.10]

• We took the kids to the new Alamo Drafthouse for dinner and a 3D movie. Sadly, I think this was the first time the four of us have all been to a movie together. It was tons of fun!
  
  
  
• I did not make much progress in getting through the mountain of images that I need to edit and blog. In fact, I added about 500 more on Saturday. 
• I read more books. I finished Hunger Games (or was that last week?) and Bel Canto. Should be done with Catching Fire tonight or tomorrow.
• Did more Christmas shopping. Found GREAT deals (thanks Target and Amazon), which excites me even more!
• I began to really looking forward to the new Harry Potter movie coming out in two weeks!
• Went on a field trip with Abby's class to the Witte Museum.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Went to a dinner party hosted by my friend Candace, and enjoyed a nice, relaxing evening!
  
• Stressed and worried and got angry over a situation with a client that turned out to be no big deal at all -- and even turned out great!
• Finished Season One of Lost. Loved it.
• Went to Target an unreasonable number of times.
• Had some really good quiet times.
• Abby and Carson had their first "auditions" for the Christmas musical at church. They were very nervous and a little shy, but are excited to be in the chorus!
• Got to snuggle with my niece and nephew a little at church yesterday, which was awesome, since I've been missing them a lot lately.
• I had lots of headaches.
• Enjoyed the weather thoroughly! I even got to pull out my favorite green coat a few times. A gorgeous week!

Halloween 2010

Halloween was a lot of fun this year for all of us! The kids had fun coming up with their costumes (a waitress and a slice of pizza), and then we hosted a neighborhood outreach at our house, at which we handed out a ridiculous amount of candy and close to 300 hot dogs. We got to meet lots of our new neighbors and spread the word about the new campus that'll be launching soon. It was a great time!

Girls Night

On Monday nights, we usually host our Life Group at our house, but this week the guys had Football and Wings at church. So we decided to do a ladies night. Turns out, it ended up being just me, Abby, and Gina, but we had a lot of fun! We ate, did pedicures, watched Dancing With the Stars, and had a great time! Everyone needs a night like that now and again. So thankful for all the wonderful ladies in my life!

Carson's Head

Carson's head has had quite the week.

Last Thursday, he fell of his skateboard and scraped his face next to his eye.

Wednesday, Abby came down the stairs to tell Aaron that Carson had cut his own hair. Sure enough, two big chunks were cut out of his hair. Aaron told him that we were going to have to shave his head. He cried and cried as Aaron buzzed his hair. Aaron told him, "Don't worry, it's gonna grow back." To which Carson replied, "But yours didn't!"

Then the next night as Carson danced around the living room, he busted his head open on the window seat.

Poor little guy. :)

This Week [10.23.10]

This week...

• We got to hang out with Jason and Natalie and the kiddos, all of whom I've been missing dearly.
• I baked four times. Muffins, scones, cookies, and cobbler. It's so easy (and relatively cheap)! Why haven't I done this more?
• Shot my last wedding of October.
• Carson decided to give himself a haircut. He is now very nearly bald. This deserves it's own post.
• We finally found a location for the new campus! And we had three new families visit. Very exciting!
• Saw a movie (Wall Street) with Candace and ate at Bin 555 with her and Adriana.
• Spent a fun evening with the Azzaros and other pastors at RCCC eating together and being mentored, which I value highly.
• Finished "The Help" and read "The Poisonwood Bible" via audiobook download from the library, and "The Hunger Games". Extremely well written books.
• Bought three Christmas gifts.
• Laughed with my husband. A lot.
• And enjoyed life :)

Just Another Day in Paradise

Just about every Monday starts the same. I get up. Very (very) lightly tidy things up a bit. If Abby has school, I get her ready and take her. Then I sit with Carson a while and watch cartoons. I make coffee, and not long after, Aaron comes downstairs. He watches ESPN for a while. We don't do much. Then around 10:00, one of us will inevitably ask, "What do you want to do today?" To which, the other will reply, "Mmm... I don't know. I'm up for anything. What do you want to do?" Neither of us ever knows anything beyond the fact that "it'd be nice to get out of the house for a while." So, we hop in the car and go. In the car, Aaron will turn to me and say, "So I have no idea where I'm going. Any ideas?" I never really have any... But we always seem to have fun, whether we end up at Costco or Target or a burger joint or just driving around.

Today, we chose to drive. And it made for a perfect day. We drove out 471 towards Medina Lake. As we drove, if we saw a road that caught our eye, we'd take it. We spent the better part of the day exploring the backroads of the Hill Country, and it was fabulous. The weather was gorgeous, the music seemed to hit the spot (Aaron's "Chill" playlist), and the company, of course... it doesn't get better (well, unless Abby had been along). It was refreshing and awe-inspiring to see such beautiful scenery, breathing in the autumn air. We began dreaming of the day where we might have our own little piece of hill country heaven, far from the hustle and bustle, where we might only need to step out onto our front porch to be blown away by the beauty of God's creation. And we had a great time. Just being together.

We serve an awesome God -- maker of trees and rivers, blue skies, and my beautiful family. I am so thankful!

Feels Like Fall

Yesterday was a really good day. Did I clean the house? Nope. Did I get much work done? Nope. But I had fun. Carson was itching to get out of the house yesterday morning and said he wanted to "be in nature", so we headed up the road to Helotes, where we found some walking trails and went to check out the Nature Center (which was closed). We explored and had ever so much fun making discoveries and trying to solve small mysteries ("Where do you think these tire tracks came from?!") Carson was in heaven. Walking behind the Nature Center, we discovered a rope swing that was good for half an hours worth of entertainment. Made me wish we had a tree in the back yard to hang one from.

On our way home, we saw a pumpkin patch at Helotes UMC, and decided we'd go pick out a few pumpkins to decorate after Abby got done with school. It never ceases to amaze me how much fun kids have at a pumpkin patch.

Last night, we hung around the house, had risotto (a family favorite) for dinner, and then we all decorated our pumpkins together. Even the grown-ups had fun!

Here's the final result. I love how everyone's pumpkins came out totally differently :)

Happy Fall, everyone!