Did that really just happen?

This Christmas Day started off really great.  And it ended even better.

First of all, Lena was hilarious the whole day.  She loved everything.  Our Christmas morning starts off by the kids coming into our room and climbing up into our bed to empty the stockings that we leave filled by their beds.  This is my absolute favorite part of the morning.  Lena was so cute sticking her entire arm down into that big stocking to get out her stuff.  She was so excited.  There's just nothing like watching a baby's first real Christmas when their little faces light up from excitement because they have no idea what's going on but they know they like it.  I'm sad that part is over now.

Then we all run into the living room to see what Santa (they know it's us) left and to open gifts.  Fun stuff, yada yada yada.

Then we all get dressed and ready for the day and head to Mimi's house in Headland for breakfast.  Only this year we had to move it across the street to Jason's sister's house because his other sister (who lives at Mimi's) was sick. :(

Then we head to Grandnonna's house for lunch.

So we're opening presents at my mom's and we always go youngest to oldest.  We start opening the ones from my sister, bro-in-law and niece, and I notice the gifts are a little...well...not the usual gifts they like to give.  I know that this has been a really great year for them financially, and I'm noticing that these gifts are like $10 or less...maybe.  At first when the kids were opening, I just thought that maybe they were trying to be nice and get us inexpensive gifts so we wouldn't feel bad for not getting them really expensive ones, but by the time it got around to my mom (remember, youngest to oldest) I realized that we're all getting these really janky tools.

Ok, before it sounds like I'm being ungrateful, please realize this is not something that bothered me, but just something that I noticed.  So they "forgot" they had another bag of gifts in the car after all the opening was done and they brought it in and passed out one more box for everyone to open.  They said we all (me, Jason, Jessi, Eli, my mom, my dad, and my brother) had to open at the same time.  I'm thinking, aw how sweet, they got us all something really nice like a gift card or cash, what a smooth little trick with the janky tools.  Nuh-uh...

WE ALL GOT 2 DAY PARKHOPPER PASSES TO DISNEYWORLD.

WOW.

I couldn't help but immediately remember the list that Jason and I made and prayed over about a year ago of things that we are believing God for.  Glory be to God, we have been able to scratch off many of the things on that list this year.  Today we got to scratch off a big one.  Disneyworld.  We actually had some extra money come into our hands this month and we immediately talked about using it for Disney, but we prayed about it and really felt the Lord showing us something different we needed to do with it.  We knew the most important thing was to obey God and trust that He would take care of Disneyworld for us at the right time.

We got in the truck to come home and I just looked at Jason and said, "Did that really just happen?"  It still feels like a dream.  I'm so thankful for God's goodness and His love for us!

Thank you Scott, Sandy, and Lauren!  We're all goin' to Disney!!!

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December 16, 2010, 4:07pm (cst)

So I glanced out the back door to see what J & E were up to...

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Hooters

So I took Jessi to a birthday party today, and after we left, we stopped by Captain D's for some fried pickles before we ran a few errands.  I turned the wrong way leaving there, and so I just turned around in the parking lot next to it, which was Hooters.  Jessi asked me why we had never been there before and so I told her that the girls that work there just don't dress appropriately, and it would be uncomfortable for all of us.

She understood, and then said, "Why don't they just wear owl costumes? Because that would be appropriate."

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O' Organized Christmas Tree

So, today, Jessi took care of Lena and breakfast so that I could sleep a little longer.  I'm so thankful for her! She really is a great help to me.  When I got up and came into the living room, all the Christmas tree ornaments that were on the tree were on the floor.  She said they were a mess and that she needed to re-organize them.

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Got Her!!!

I have no words! Click on the picture for her sweet post...

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Bella

So, I know this is probably wrong, but I can't help it...

Lena Isabella Cullen Sanders

So I found this picture just now, and I'm wondering if you can add redeye...

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Our Christmas Tree

One of my favorite family Christmas traditions happened today.  We got our Christmas tree!  We went to the Brown Dog Christmas Tree Farm in Arlington, GA.  I can't really explain it, but there's just something about spending the time together picking out your Christmas tree that just makes it special.  I love walking all over the farm, searching for that perfect tree that we all love.

They have this beautiful brown dog, hence the name, that is so sweet and lets all the kids pet him and take their picture with him.  Lena LOVED that dog.  She screamed as we were walking past him because we weren't stopping to let her go see him.  Once we realized what she was screaming about, we stopped, and she was SO beside herself.  It was hilarious.  I wish I had video of the whole thing.

When we were deciding on the tree, Jason convinced me that the one we picked would fit, and that he could just trim it up a little if it didn't.  This is after the trimming...

Notice how the top is smooshed into the ceiling?  He said I could just put a bow up at the top and you wouldn't even notice.  I guess my angel will just have to go in the middle somewhere?  Ah well, it's beautiful and I love it!  Not bad for $36!  Another thing I love about the Brown Dog Christmas Tree Farm!  Maybe I'll get it decorated before Christmas!  Honestly, I don't even care what our tree looks like, because we are making memories that will be there forever.  We might not remember all the new decorations or lights we put up, but we will always remember going to get that tree together every year.

And yes, the date stamp on all the pics I took today annoys me too, but I just can't get it off!

On a side note, I was able to comfortably carry my camera around, thanks to my friend Nicole, who made this super cute point and shoot wrist strap.

I don't actually have a point and shoot camera, but I wanted to try one out anyway and it really worked out great for me!  It was very comfy and easy to hold even though my camera is a good bit bigger than a point and shoot.  I recommend it for sure, even if you don't have a point and shoot camera!

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Every Girl Needs a Pony

So today was crazy. I don't know if it was me or just a weird day for my kids, but there was yelling. I'm just gonna be honest. It took all of the Jesus in me not to pick up J & E by the throat. I didn't. Just had thoughts of it. Thankfully my hubby came home early and I was able to get away to run a few errands.

One of my errands involved a situation in which my insurance company almost cost me over $500. Wanna hear about it? If not, just skip down to the paragraph before the picture.  But I'll try to make it short. A few weeks ago we were at Kohls and Eli slung the door open to get out, like I've said a million times NOT to do, and hit the brand new red cadillac mini suv next to us. No dent, but about an inch long deep scratch. It definitely took the paint off. I had to leave a note.

Well, she called me up and said her hubby looked at it and they were going to need it fixed. Ok, no problem. I told her to take it to a repair shop owned by a friend of my family and she did. She called me and told me the amount and it was something over $500. So, I called my insurance company and they said an adjuster would be calling me to get some info. So this lady calls from the insurance company, but didn't seem to be an adjuster. She asked me a few questions about the incident, asked me who to make the check to and where to send it, then asked for the lady's phone number who needed the repair. I answered her questions and told her to make the check out to the repair shop and send it straight to them. She said no problem and there was nothing further for me to do. Awesome. Taken care of.

So this morning the repair shop calls me up and says the job is done and asked me what I wanted to do about the payment. I told them the insurance company was sending them a check and gave them the phone number to call the insurance company to find out what the deal was. They called me back and said the insurance company said they mailed the check directly to me on Monday the 28th. That was 4 days ago. I hadn't checked my mail in a couple days so I figured it was in the mailbox and since I knew the repair shop people personally, I asked them to go ahead and let them be on their way with their vehicle and that if I didn't have the check I would just pay them myself and deposit the check when I got it. No biggie.

Something just didn't seem right though. I called my insurance company myself and they said they would check and call me back. So I get to the repair shop to write them a check and I'm chatting with them about how weird this all is. They told me the guy that picked up the car/truck/whatever had his checkbook in hand when he came to get it. Interesting. They of course told him I was taking care of it since they had already spoken to me and knew the situation, so he put his checkbook away and left. Well while I'm sitting there talking with them about all of this, my insurance company calls me and it just so happens that they sent the check TO THE LADY WHOSE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED.

MHM.

My repair shop friends told me not to worry, and they would just wait to hear from me while I got it all straightened out. Thank God for favor. I called the lady up and left her a detailed message to call me back. She called me about 5 minutes later and said that she already received the check and she thought it was weird that the repair shop told her it was taken care of.  So they knew they had the check before they picked up the car.

NO FURTHER COMMENT ON THIS LADY FROM ME.

I am however very unhappy with my insurance company. Am I not the customer here? Did I not tell them where to send the check? And if they decided they needed to send it elsewhere shouldn't they have called me to let me know?

That was way long and the END of that story.  I'm not talking about it anymore because it stresses me out.

At this point I still had several more errands to run, but the hubby called and said he had to go back to work, so I had to stop and go straight home. He got home around 6ish, so I finally got to go finish my errands.  Enough business talk.  LOOK what we got Lena for Christmas! She's gonna LOVE THIS!

All the while still thinking almost every moment of my friends in China.  I can't wait to see Lily!

And I'll end on that note. 

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Step by Step

Yes, I am blogging at 6:18 AM.  Our dear friends are on their way to China as I write this.  I've been singing "Step by Step" by NKOTB since the wee hours of the morning.  Thanks Anna:)  This has literally been a step-by-step process for these guys, and they are finally taking the last steps to get to this baby girl.  Lily doesn't even know it yet, but one of the BEST things that will ever happen to her is happening right now.  My heart is leaping with excitement for all of them!  God has worked things out so perfectly...

Isn't she beautiful???

Please pray for all of them over the next 16 days!  They are on the most challenging, exciting, joyful, and life-changing adventure of their lives...

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