The Polar Express--NOT TO BE READ BY CHILDREN!

As you know if you've read all of my posts, I

believe in Santa. Here is yet another PROOF that he is real.

At the end of "The Polar Express", Santa gives the little boy in blue a jingle bell as the "first gift of Christmas". When he hands the bell to the boy, he says, "This jingle bell is a wonderful symbol of the spirit of Christmas, as am I. But the true spirit of Christmas lies within your heart."

Now, if "Santa" wasn't real, then why would we give more of ourselves at this time of year? I believe that it's Santa that brings out that generosity in even the hardest of hearts around Christmas. People who normally spend their entire year thinking of only their own troubles will grab a name off of an Angel Tree at the mall, or offer to serve food for their company Christmas party. Nope--Santa is very real. He just have to look for him in people.

When I finally asked the dreaded question, my mom's response was, "Santa isn't a person. He's a feeling. And yes.. Santa IS real."

Now see? You believe in him again too, don't you?

Celebrating Christmas

Wow, we are so blessed.

I couldn't believe what our living room looked like when Santa finished dropping off all of our gifts. As usual, we went way overboard, but what a fun morning! I got a new camera that has a million features that will take me years to figure out. Brian got a table saw. Brett got a guitar, a football jersey, and a scooter from Santa. Lukie got a scooter, a castle, and a big Lightning McQueen, and Jeffy got a Tidmouth Shed, and a laptop. That Santa is one heck of a guy! Plus, he surprised the whole family with a ping pong table for the basement! Everyone got spoiled rotten. I captured the entire morning on my NEW camera's video recorder, and have already downloaded it onto my computer. Now, I just need to figure out how to edit it, because even I won't want to watch the entire thing again.

The best comment of the day came from Jeffy. He loves to discuss his "favorite part" of every activity we do, including going to the grocery store or watching a movie we've seen a thousand times. When I tucked him in last night, I said, "Jeffy, did you like Christmas?" He said, "Oh yeah." And I said, "What was your favorite part?" and he said, "Taking a tubby!" So after $10,000 spent and 150 hours of assembling toys and finding a new home for all of them, his favorite part was taking a bath at the end of the day! WOW! I'll remember that next year!

Ice Storm

Some of you know that I love to take pictures. Of course 99% of them are of the boys, but here are a couple of our recent ice storm. What a beautiful site!

I've been Tagged

So, I was tagged a month or so ago by my friend Kelli, and now I have to tell you 8 things you probably don't know about me. This is hard, because if you know me, then you know I'm an open book. But we'll see what we can come up with.

1) I went to grade school in Pleasant Hope Missouri, where I was class President in the 7th grade. Yes, I RULED over 41 other kids and singlehandedly designed our game for the school carnival.

2) My second and third toes on both feet are webbed together. This is a genetic "birth defect" that was passed down from my Grandma, to my mother, and all three of my children have it. And NO, we cannot swim better than the rest of you non-web-toed freaks!

3) I met four of my best friends on the planet over a dead body. True. I'll leave you to figure that one out on your own.

4) I cannot be convinced that there is no Santa. I will believe in him until the day I die.

5) I live in the suburbs of Kansas City in a middle class neighborhood. But my dream home is an old farm house in the middle of no where with glass doorknobs and a secret hide-out under the stairs. I'd fix it up room by room and then sit on the front porch all day every day.

6) My new favorite movie of all time is "Meet the Robinsons". I have seen it 5 times and really really hope Santa brings it to me this year for Christmas.

7) I caught a burglar in my house when I was about 11 years old. I ran to the neighbor's house, and we (me and the 11 year old boy that lived there) went back over to my house to confront him with a machete. Unfortunately, he was gone by then. Yep, really happened.

8) I can still recite all of the words to a song that was serenaded to me during a Christmas play by Weston Walker when we were in the 4th grade. Wanna hear it? I didn't think so.

Hmm, that was easier than I thought.