The Magic of Christmas Lies in your heart

On Christmas Eve Tristan was in full belief and comfort that Santa Claus would soon fill his sleigh and deliver the toys that were on his list to our house on Carpenter Drive in Decatur, Alabama. The pure joy and faith made my heart swell with remembrance of when I was a child. I tried to find one of my Christmas memories in my mind to ponder and rekindle in my heart. I flipped through the files of my memory and fell upon one of the last Christamases that I truly believed in Santa Claus. I remember the magic that I felt as the days wound down to Christmas Eve and the breath taking feeling that I had when I went to bed that night just knowing that something magical would take place that night around the soon-to-be dead tree we had nursed and kept alive for weeks in my parents' living room. I would dream of Santa navigating his way around the furniture to place newly wrapped packages by the calico decorated tree my mom always put up when my brothers and I were children. I had a vision of the wrapping paper that would bring joy to a child's heart just by the sheer awe of the magic that elves took time and care to know how to do it just right.

As I watched Tristan prepare for Santa by placing cookies and milk on the table in the living room by the fireplace and poor reindeer food on the front lawn, I felt a twinge of that old magic run through my heart.

Why is it that we learn the "truth" about Santa? Why can't we have that feeling of vulnerable innocence and always believe that there is a greater being out there that will always shower us with gifts and bring us special gifts that only we can desire?

My son Tristan believes in Santa Claus. Now, Sammy Cade is another story! He said time and again, "No Santa, No Santa come see me!" so we just dealt with it the best we could. He ducked around the living room and said he was "Scerred to see Santa" in his house and that he did not want toys!
The magic is there, it does not take much as a child. To have the child-like faith that there is something greater than all of us out there!

My Family!!!

I had the privilege of going to take pics of my family today.
Here are a few!
I have to say that I have such a gorgeous family!
Lighting was a bit of an issue at times, but I think photo shop took care of most of that!
Enjoy!

Back to work

Today I went on a field trip to the Wetland's Edge.
We got to see saltwater tanks full of exotic fish and local river fish and turtles. We also got to see a 7 foot Burmese Python. That was freaky!
I have a terrible fear of snakes and this big rascal liked my body heat, because all he wanted to do was come my way!
I took lots of pics, wish I could share them with you, but my students are in the pics and I can't share those with you!
The snake was freaky!
I confronted a fear of mine today. YAY! GO ME!
I think this little cartoon is funny because I love butterflies!!!! How can someone be afraid of something so docile and gentle? Snakes, I mean come on, that is a rational fear!!!!!

The man and his woman

Thought you would get a kick out of the pics from us shooting the other day!
We had a really great time until Matt shot himself!
See the blog below this one for that story!
Anyway, enjoy!
My mom said I looked like a bush woman in my camo boots!
She knows me all too well! I would rather be in the woods with a gun than in the kitchen with pot and pan!

Taking time to give thanks

I just want to take the national holiday of Thanksgiving to tell everyone how thankful I am for each and every one of you.
If I don't tell you personally how much I love and treasure you, then here it is!
I thank God for you and all the blessings that you contribute to my life. I love you and hope that you get the same thankfulness out of everyone that you meet and love too!

I thank God for Jeremy, Tristan, and Samuel Holmes. They are the light in the darkness and the path home for me.
I love you guys!

I thank God that a sense of humor goes a long way in this world. I hope that I can get a better grip on my sense of humor and laugh a lot more at myself and others. I thank God that Jeremy is an understanding, loving, and patient man. Without that, who knows what would be of us?!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday, hopefully a day off of work, and eat a lot of Turkey and take a big nap afterwards...

Enjoying our break

I began our break for the week yesterday with a day to myself. I knew if I did not take that, things could possibly get rough in the days to come. I met with my best girl in the whole world, Ju-Ju to eat lunch at BB Perrins. We had the best time.
Things were all rainy and funky outside, but it didn't matter because we were getting to do girly things.

I then spent the rest of my afternoon getting the Christmas shopping over with!
I would say we are 80% finished.

I love getting gifts for people. It truly does make me happy to do that. I also love receiving gifts as well.

Jeremy announces to me Saturday that he would like to get me a new pistol for my Christmas gift this year. Most girls would be like yeah, that's for you. But, we love to take the guns to the farm and blow things up. It feels good to do that! Just anhilate something that can't talk back!

Good aggression releaser. I have been trying to get Ju-Ju to go. She would have a blast!
Jeremy bought a new rifle. I think that I need to fire that one. It has a kick back to it. Maybe in this break, we can find some time to go do just that.

Funny thing out of Tristan's mouth Saturday

Saturday we had to take Maximus Prime, the new kitten for his first vet trip.
Tristan was there and listening to me talk to the vet and when I asked her to verify if Maximus Prime was indeed a boy, she said, "Oh, yes, of course!"

Tristan, listening to all of this speaks up and says, "Mom, how do you know he is a boy?"
I, stamering to come up with something that won't scar him, said, "Uhhhh, well, he looks like you do."
Tristan sits and thinks heavily and says, "Yeah, you're right he has short hair too!"

We laughed and laughed, because after his observation earlier this week about girls' pee-wees, I just knew I was fixing to be in for it on this one!

He seems to be really coming up with some good ones lately!

What a wild ride~

This has been the craziest week we have had in a while.
It really seems like things come at you in massive spurts!
Between Jeremy having a case of pneumonia, a weird work situation this week, Jeremy staying in the hospital, my hives STILL acting up, and the kids-things have been interesting!

I can't even go into the work situation, because of the confidentiality of my job. But, I ask you right now to agree with me in the NAME OF JESUS, that things work themselves out for the GLORY OF GOD, not individuals.

CRAZY...

Tristan has said some funny things this week, I will blog about that one separate.

Matt and Ju-Ju had the estate sale this weekend for Matt's parents' stuff. That was one cold ESTATE SALE!!!!
Long Johns and lots of heaters!

We also realized this week through some of the most awesome people we go to church with, that we are very loved, blessed, and cared for.
You know you are special when you get TWITTERED!
I love you guys so much. You just showed us how much we are loved and we really needed to feel that, even though it took Jeremy to go to the hospital to find that out. You know how you get, all down on yourselves and in a funk. We have definitely been in a funk. But, all that matters is that we ARE blessed by some great friends and family in our lives.

For all you parents, esp moms

This one is for all the moms or parents out there...
Tristan announced to me tonight that girls have hair on the pee-wees...

How do you know that one Tristan?

His response was, "Duh, I have watched you go potty for like EVER!"


O-K-A-Y!

Time for the door to be shut during mommy's private time!

Stress

Do you suffer from stress?
I do.
I don't know why either!
I was talking to my brother today and he told me to just not worry about things.
Well, I replied that it was just not that simple.
We all have things that occupy our thoughts and emtions.
The hardest thing about all worry and stress for me, is being a Christ follower.
I say that in the most affectionate way.
I love Jesus Christ.
I am so thankful that He did what we won't have to do. My heart gets all swollen and big feeling when I think that HE saved ME. WOW! Who can do that? Christ CAN AND DID!

I truly do fathom that He was the greatest sacrifice.

This is a torment of mine that I just cannot accept that and trust just that.
I think I do and them WAM! I get all stressed over the small things and freak out.

OCD girl on the loose. I am thinking waaayyy too hard here.

Stress sucks.
Everyday, nonessential to the chain of life things suck. But, for some strange reason we allow them to trespass on our minds and take over.

I had a co-worker grab me today at work and pretty much do everything but annoint me with holy oil (I asked if she had any). I felt safe when she did that. There was an annoying little pang that someone might see and then I allowed God to flip that and I began HOPING someone would see that God DOES exist and he takes care of His chilren. No matter where they are.
So, stress not my friend. If Jessica Holmes can let some things go, you can too. Because I am the tightest of drums when it comes to hashing things out.

My new buddy...

I guess you could say that in the midst of all of my allergic reactions, I have had an "itching" for a cat. Some people are dog people and others are cat people, well, that is me. p.s. I am not allergic to cats according to the test thing...

Last night Ju-Ju and I took Sammy out to Trinity in response to an ad for free kittens and we found our new little buddy, Maximus "Prime"!
(Tristan added the "Prime" to it so that Max could be a Transformer too!)

We fell in love with the little fella right off when we got a peek at his little nose that has a black speck on it!

He is big old snuggle bug!
He had a bath tonight to get rid of whatever fleas and funkie he had on him and he barely made a peep!

I am in love already with my little Max! Sammy is able to get out "Maxsh" which is very sweet to hear!
Check out my little buddy, Maximus!

What a long week

For a holiday week this week was wild!
I ended up back in the emergency room yesterday morning with hives and short breathing.
We still don't know what is going on with me.
I don't think I will be showing you pictures this time of what happened to me. My whole body is covered in abrasion marks from where I scratched myself up.
I look like a war zone. I am heavily medicated and the steroids have my heart racing nonstop. They gave me something to make me sleep while I take these steroids so that I can rest.
Please say a prayer for me today that I will overcome this bout of whatever that is happening with my body.

(2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV) "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

(Psalms 30:2 NKJV) O LORD my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.

(Psalms 6:2 NKJV) Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

(Psalms 103:1-4 NKJV) Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! {2} Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: {3} Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, {4} Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

I found a new trick!

I am in love with taking pictures. As if you cannot tell!
I have had some editing software on my computer and have been pulling my hair out with it up until tonight! I feel like I just broke the sanscrit code or something!
BINGO!
Check out some of my "masterpieces!"
You can click on the picture to enlarge it. I love the one of Tristan in the park and so wanted to put scripture with it!
Enjoy!

An interesting day at CAE

As some of you may know I teach.
I get the privilege to teach English at the Center for Alternative to Expulsion.
It is a unique school that services students with behavioral issues (to say the least). I don't talk much about the students and their particular situations because of the confidentiality that surrounds many of their individual reasons for being assigned to our facility.

So, having said that, I don't teach in a typical school setting. We don't have a PTA, just PROBATION OFFICERS, we don't have teacher appreciation week, just be glad you made it through the school year emotionally breathing!

The only field trip our students ever get to go on is to the Limestone Correctional Facility. They take them to that to show them that if they continue on their path of self-destruction, this is where you will end up!
Today was supposed to be the big day for the field trip. It was botched until next week. The students were actually disappointed.

Instead of the prison, Mr. Bruce Jones with DYS, brought over the EXTREME team from Calvary Assembly and they performed motor bike and BMX bike demos in our parking lot. It truly was the most exciting thing that had ever come along to CAE. Five of our teachers lay down in the parking lot only to have a Honda motorbike jump over them.

I actually felt like a real public school teacher today with the "assembly event."

Five years and counting...

I will see if I can get some pics.

We made a joke that the teachers looked like a double stuffed oreo laying on the ground because the two white teachers were sandwiched in between the four black teachers on either end!
Too funny...

The future is inevitable

This morning I turned on my computer to find that the country of Peru has offered a hairless puppy that is allergen free to the Obama girls. YAY! Bring out the ticker tape and strike up the band! The future leader of the free world found a puppy for his kids!

Excuse me, I think that the economy, the tanked housing market, the bailout for Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac, the WAR, the stockmarket and people's 401 Ks that are now 201Ks are so much more important than what kind of DOG two of the most priviledged little girls in America are gonna get.

Makes me sick.

Pray for your Country.
That is the need for concern, not a dog for two little future debutants. Come on America, get your priorities in order.

Feeling better all ready

It was definitely the daily medicine that I began taking about three weeks that was causing me to itch.
I have not had any of that medicine since Sunday morning and the itching finally subsided yesterday morning after about three hours of agonizing itchiness all over my hands and feet.

Glad that is over!

Please pray that this new medicine they are going to try me on will work!
I took one of the new ones last night and I had weird psychodelic dreams and periods of nausea and insomina! That is not cool.

Why does it have to be so hard to just get straightened out?

To all you mothers of boys

Crash! Broken glass shattering all over the marble fire place and carpet!
That was the sound of one of my lamps breaking about a half hour ago.
I run into the living room to find my Sammy behind the couch and Tristan running around the house shouting, "Jessica, Jessica, Jessica" as loud as he could.
I acutally thought it was the curio cabinet in the kitchen that had maybe just had a toy or something launched into the 7 feet of glass that displays all of my beloved Willow Tree figurines and the kids' first hand prints of plaster of paris.

No, thankfully it was just a beautiful, tall, elegant lamp that I had a cow for when we moved into this house three years ago. Things have changed so much in three years. Since we have moved in here, Tristan has morphed into a young man, no longer a little curly headed baby bouncing around the house and we have also been blessed with Sammy since our move here on Carpenter Drive.

My boys are the epitome of the saying, "They are all boy!"

We have had black eyes and ears (Sammy is the only human being I have ever known that bruises his EARS!?), a busted lip that required stitches, broken toes (me), lost fingernails, chipped teeth, busted noses (me and Jeremy), fist fights, bruised knees, and skinned up elbows, along with a few broken hearts in this house!

Great memories for those that have ever lived with boys as brothers or sons. They truly are a unique breed of human. My boys will go from antagonizing each other one moment that then leads into a pushing match to only be a hugging and giggling fest the next moment.

We like to get dirty with anything that will be messy and has to be cleaned up in excess!


Without Tristan and Samuel, life just would not be as bright and sunny as it would be without them.

Truly I mean this when I say it, "Thank Heaven for Little Boys!"

More pics, just couldn't resist!