A LampPost Flickering

Every year I say I'm going to have a simple Christmas. I really do try. I want God's Gift to be the radiant star that shines down from the top of the season's Christmas tree. I decorate a little. Since we live so far away from most of you friends and family and I don't get to have you over for coffee and sugar cookies, here's a tiny Christmas tour. I love to give and receive Christmas cards, and I display them joyfully. This year, mine were sent out in batches. Um, I'm still working on getting that second batch out. I know. It's a splurge, but please don't stop sending Christmas cards just because you can just more easily FB or txt or email or digitize a greeting or because it costs more in postage than the card itself! Christmas cards are very special. I even love receive the late ones! A few sprigs of green with a few merry berries. A surprise poinsettia from a friend. I no longer have to worry about toddlers eating the beautiful yet poisonous leaves,

We're blessed that the base offers a decent soccer program for kids ages, 4-9. That left Caleb as too much of an old-timer to play, but Gabe, Lily and Seth are playing, Lily and Seth for the first time. There's something about little kids in baggy soccer shorts, long socks to the knees, and cleats that radiates cuteness. Since there are a few too many miles between most of your houses and mine, and you probably won't make it to any of the kids' games, here are some video snipits so that you can cheer from the other side of the computer screen. These first four show Gabe in action...or inaction. Whichever. :o) He's on the gray team, "The Sharks," number six. *I apologize for the poor quality video. And on the Navy blue team, ironically also, "The Sharks," we have Seth, number one, and Lily, number ten. Today, Lily ran down the field, dodged many obstacles, and scored a goal! The funny thing is, it was such a little deal to her that she didn't

*God surprised me with a brand new, red-headed, warrior-spirited, gentle-hearted son. *God blessed me with wonderful home birth. It was a beautiful autumn day, and I was surrounded by my favorite people in my home. It was perfect. *I became a mom of three sons! Three!!! I felt like I'd just won the jackpot on a slot machine! Three sons in a row! Today, he left babyhood behind forever. Five. Here are some pictures of his journey so far: Labor day. I got to meet Seth face to face about two hours after this pictures was taken. First snuggles with daddy. Here I'm getting my first real good look at him. I'm in love. Caleb and Gabe meet their new brother just moments after he was born. Three days old. A week old. This is my view of him in my sling, where he spent about the entire first year of his life! My little pumpkin. One month old. I caught a cute little sleepy smile. Two months old. A gift from above. First Christmas with three boys! One year old today! Two! Almost three. I

I'm grabbing life's bull by the horns and taking no prisoners! (Do you like how I just grabbed random cliches that are completely unrelated and mixed them together with my bare hands?) In the past two days: **I mowed the lawn...with an electric lawn mower...in a thunderstorm...by the ocean. Yowza! Can you feel the adrenaline?! **I allowed my kids to paint for hours at the dining room table. Seth and Lily included! My heart was a-racin' indeed. **I baked 5 dozen cookies and one loaf of beer bread...and I only ate one cookie. I washed it down with a glass of Slim Fast. Bring it!! Now I'm on fire to see what other damage I can do! How have you lived dangerously this week?

Okay, so this update is long overdue. June: Beach Days Swim lessons July: Independence Day We adventured on a three-week vacation from Texas to Missouri to Indiana to Ohio...back to Texas. We survived. Thrived. And I have pictures to prove it. Oh, and Rob had to work, so the four kids, one dog and one mom drove up without him. He was to fly up and meet us in IN the second week. I feel like I accomplished something significant in simply getting us all there in one piece. And...the first leg of the trip was without A/C. It was 107 in Austin when we drove through, if that gives you any indication of the heat factor. But, good news was in the works. First stop, Denton, TX to crash on my sister-in-law Stacey's house. Great things happened here. 1.) I saw my awesome nephews Bill and Kelly. They are great. 2.) I got to meet Stacey's kind and handsome boyfriend, Sean. 3.) Kind and handsome boyfriend finished fixing the A/C on our van, making the remaining hours of July travel far more