Merry Christmas!

I thought I would share our 2007 family Christmas shot. Isn't it great?! I think it is hilarious! We get an A for effort.
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Ours was good, unfortunately, the boys were both very sick. Tristan is much better now, and Asher is working his way back to healthy. Although Tristan has been sick the past couple of days, he didn't let it keep him from enjoying Jesus' birthday! This was him seeing his presents for the first time.Here he is enjoying the opening of gifts.
Here is one of Tristan's favorite gifts...a blue echo harmonica. That's what he calls it anyway. His favorite movie this holiday season has been The Chipmunks Christmas Movie. He asked for a blue harmonica, and I scoured the city looking for one. Guess when I found it? Ummm...the eve of Christmas Eve! Thank you, Michaels!!!Tristan told me his favorite Christmas gift was his orange dinosaur but that his favorite surprise was his truck. His MiMi and PaPa got him this, and he was really surprised. We didn't give it to him until later in the day, and although he was sick, he still managed to take it for a quick spin...and a few CRASHES!
Here is Channing holding our two sick little boys (I'm sure he'll be thrilled that I shared this picture of him). Asher was absolutely miserable! He didn't even open one gift on Christmas day. He took a 5 hour nap that afternoon, and woke up constantly during the night. It was so sad, however, he is recovering today. As you can see, he had the energy to sneak into a gift...All in all, it was a great Christmas. Any time that we can be reminded of God's greatest gift is a blessed day. I am so thankful for Jesus and all that He has done for me, for my family, and for all of you. We don't deserve Him and His grace, but I am so thankful for it! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!!!
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and I equally hope you have a fabulous New Year!!! We're heading to Highlands, NC today and won't be back until next week.
Happy New Year!

She's Got Talent!

My great friend, Leisha, is one of the most talented people I know. There isn't much she can't do. Without any formal training, she takes beautiful pictures, creates artistic masterpieces any time she deigns a card or invitation, and can work wonders in homes, with diaper bags, you name it...she can do it. Here are some recent pictures she took of my boys:
The first picture is of Asher and Leisha's youngest son, Eli. Isn't Eli precious?!
Here's Tristan! She actually got him to smile...a HUGE accomplishment . It is something most photographers cannot accomplish. I can't even accomplish it much. Great job, Leish! Here's my Ash Be-Dash!
Here is Asher with Leisha's oldest son, Sam. He is such a doll!
Look how happy Tristan looks. Seriously...HUGE accomplishment!

Half of the Hairstons

I had to post these two pictures from Thursday. I wish I had taken more, but I did get these two, and I think they're precious! Here is Asher with Mrs. Leisha. Doesn't he look so happy?! I think he is in love!

















Here is Asher playing with sweet little Eli. They had a great time together!

Wise Men Still Seek Him

I LOVE this shirt! Tristan made this at school (I know his teacher did most of it), and I think it is so precious. It's got the three wise men on it, and it says, "Wise Men Still Seek Him." Very original, and very cute!

Ok, I am officially done posting today! MERRY CHRISTMAS! Only three days to go!

Santa?

This is our annual Photo with Santa. Pretty disappointing, huh? He doesn't even look like Santa. He never even said "HO, HO, HO". Look at Tristan. He looks thrilled, right? Asher is trying to figure out who this imposter really is. This is definitely a photo to remember!
We don't really do the whole Santa thing, but we still know who Santa is and like to get the annual photo with him. This year, I just didn't plan well enough. Oh well, just like I say when it comes to Alabama football...There's always next year!

You Are My Sunshine

This morning, I went into my little Sunshine's room because I heard him "cooing" and playing to himself. His daily wake up routine is SO different than Tristan's was as a baby. Tristan woke every day with crying, Asher wakes daily with a smile on his face. It's amazing. Channing's mom says that is exactly how he was as a baby. She used to call him "Sunshine" because he always woke up in a good mood.
Tristan is more like me. It takes him a little while to get going in the morning. He no longer wakes up crying, but he still usually prefers a second to gather his thoughts without anyone singing in his face. :) He does wake up much happier than he used to, though!

Zoolight Safari

Last night, Channing and I loaded up the boys and headed to the zoo for the Zoolight Safari. It was a great night to check out lights because it was cold but not freezing. Tristan was thrilled to be going, and once he got there, he wasn't sure which direction he wanted to go first.
Asher, on the other hand, would have rather been at home in his bed. He was a trooper, though, and went from light display to light display with no complaining. He is definitely his daddy's little boy!As soon as we got into the zoo, we saw a sign that let us know that Big Al was there. That couldn't have been more perfect since the boys and I like Big Al, so we made a beeline for the classroom where he was supposed to be. Well, we made it too late because the students at the table told us he was too tired. However, as a consolation they offered us free tickets to ride the caousel. Tristan was probably more excited about that than seeing Big Al anyway. So we got our tickets and strolled over to the carousel...which had a SUPER long line! I think half our night was spent standing in line! Here's Tristan patiently (ok, not so patiently. There was a lot of whining going on during that 10-15 minute wait) waiting his turn.
And here's the BIG ride!
From there, we went to the barn to see the sheep and goats. We made a quick picture stop on the way. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!!!
We saw some swans swimming...in the cold cold water!
Another Christmas picture !
Then we looked at Asher's sleepy face and knew it was time to go. Look at his pitiful little expression. My poor sweet baby!
And here is Tristan on the way home (yes, he still sucks his fingers. Just another thing we're working on). Can you tell he had fun?!
It was a great night of family fun! I just LOVE Christmas!!!

Time for Bed

It's time for bed. Let me go through my checklist:

• Boys in bed? CHECK!
• Teeth brushed? CHECK!
• Jammies on? CHECK!
• Lights off? CHECK!
• T.V.s off? CHECK!
• Heat turned up? CHECK!
• Front door closed??? CHECK!!!

Like I said I would, I double checked the front door. It is officially closed AND locked. We won't be inviting any strangers in tonight! Believe me when I say Channing has had to hear about that door all day. Let's hope it won't be left open ever again! Goodnight all!!!

I Knew it Felt Extra Cold

So last night, I asked/told Channing probably five times to make sure he took the garbage to the street. I knew it was packed full and that we would need it to be empty for Christmas. Every time I went to tell him, he was half asleep and assured me he would do it. Finally, the last time I went to tell him, he was asleep! Needless to say, I woke him up and sent him out (well actually, I woke him up to complain about having to do it myself, so he got up and did it). Then, he came to bed.
This morning around 4 am, while it was still dark outside, I heard Asher on the monitor crying. I let him cry for a little while, testing to see if he would go back to sleep. His cry never got anxious, but I decided I would go up and feed him anyway. I am so glad I did! As I rounded the corner to head upstairs, I noticed my front door was OPEN! It wasn't just unlocked, slightly ajar, etc...it was OPEN! Can you say freak out?! I immediately closed and locked the door and sprinted up the stairs. I knew Asher was in his room because he was crying, but I ran to Tristan's room to check on him. He was safe in his bed. I scanned the house to see if anything was out of place, but everything looked normal. I was shaking. I couldn't believe the door was left OPEN all night!
I fed Asher, triple checked on Tristan, then went back to bed to wake up Channing. I said, "Channing, do you know what you did?! You left the door open all night! Someone could have gotten the boys! Do you hear what I'm saying?! Someone could have taken the boys! The door was OPEN!!!" Do you know what reply I got? "Uhhhh." He did add, "I went to take the garbage out and went back in through the garage." Ohhhhh....now I see.
This isn't the first time something like this has happened. He has left the garage door up with the door unlocked leading into the house. However, I kind of think leaving the front door OPEN kind of takes the cake.
Oh well, we all make mistakes, and by the grace of God, we're all safe. I made sure to pour out thanksgiving on the feet of the Lord. I was so glad we were all ok. I did have a terrible nightmare when I went back to sleep, but all is well this morning. Tonight I'LL double check the doors!

Where Does the Time Go?

Today, my sweet little pumpkin is 8 months old. I can hardly believe it! I mean, where has the time gone?! It absolutely breaks my heart that time is passing so quickly, but I am doing my best to enjoy every minute. This little man is such a blessing, and I am so fortunate to have him. He is the most delightful baby I could ever imagine. His name means "happy" and "blessed", and he is both. He rarely cries, usually reserving that for when he's really hungry or really tired. He reminds me so much of my husband, and for that, I am so thankful!
He is finally sleeping at night, so now I have no complaints. He's a JOY!
Thank you, God, for sharing this precious gift with me. I pray that Channing and I will raise him in a way that is pleasing to you. Use Channing and me to lead him along the right path. I pray that through Asher and his pleasant personality, people will see your love shining through. It is all for Your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Kids and the Things they Say

Today the boys and I made a quick (yeah right) trip to Target to pick up a few things. On the way out to the car, I had a buggy full of bags, Asher in his carseat, and Tristan. I couldn't take the buggy to my car because I would have had to go off the curb, and it just seemed kind of risky to me. So I was in the process of unloading my buggy onto the curb when a sweet lady came to help. She offered to take my buggy back for me, and that was a HUGE help. I told her how much I appreciated her offer, loaded up the bags and the boys and walked to my car. As I was loading my trunk, she walked by us on the way to her car. Tristan was talking a mile-a-minute, and she said, "Bye." I tell her bye and my son, Tristan of course, loudly blurts out, "BYE INTERRUPTION!" I was SO embarrassed! I then said, "I don't know what he's talking about. Sometimes he says weird things." Then, he yelled it again, "BYE INTERRUPTION!"
EMBARRASSING to say the least! Needless to say, he received a lesson on polite things to say to people when they speak to us or give us hand, and needless to say, calling someone an interruption doesn't fit into that category!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This card was designed by my very wonderful friend, Leisha Hairston. You can check out her family under my list of blogs: Welcome to Our World. She is multi-talented and can do just about anything. So, thanks so much, Leisha, and MERRY CHRISTMAS everybody!!!

I'm Discovered!

Last night, Channing and I did something very interesting that we've been wanting to do for a long time...we went to the Discovery Seminar at our church. The purpose of the Discovery Seminar is to discover your place in the body of Christ. Needless to say, we learned a lot last night.
The night began with learning about the different types of personalities and finding which described us. There are four temperaments we learned about:
1. "D"-Dominance, Directness, Task oriented, Decisive, Organized, Outgoing, Outspoken
2. "I"-Influence, Interest in People, Witty, Easygoing, Outgoing, People Oriented
3. "S"-Steadiness, Stability, Analyze, People oriented, Introverted
4. "C"-Compliance, Competence, Task oriented, Goal oriented, Introverted
After completing the personality system analysis, I learned that I am a "DI" or a Concluder. Can I tell you that after I read the description of a "DI" or Concluder, I realized this profile was RIGHT ON! Amazing! I won't write the whole description for you, but I'll hit some of the highlights that really hit home for me:
Concluders exhibit a tendency to be strong individualists. They work hard to attain goals. They are forceful and direct. Concluders are curious and have a wide range of interests. At times, they may appear to be cold or blunt because their task-orientation tends to overtake their people-orientation (that's me!). Concluders place high standards on themselves and those around them, expecting goals to be met. They might appear to be critical when these standards are not met. Because they have a very strong impact on people and motivate them to achieve their goals, Concluders need to be especially sensitive to others around them. Concluders tend to be short-tempered (YEP!), especially when they feel that someone is taking advantage of them, for that is one of their greatest fears (YES!).
Not only did this profile enable me to learn more about my personality, but it also exposed weaknesses and areas that need growth. For instance:
As a "DI", my greatest fears are of being taken advantage of (a HUGE struggle of mine) and rejection (wild! that's why I worry so much when someone is upset with me, I guess).
Some other areas of weakness:

• I sometimes overstep authority.
• I have an argumentative attitude.
• I dislike routine.
• I attempt too much at once (YES! YES! YES!).
• I can be inattentive to detail. I'm more worried about the end result than the steps to getting there.
• I overuse gestures and facial expressions.
• I tend to listen only when it's convenient. (Embarrassing, but my hubby assures me it's true! ;D)

I learned that I need to strive to be an "active" listener. I need to be less controlling. I need to develop a greater appreciation for the opinions, feelings, and desires of others. I need to put more energy into personal relationships. I need to take time to explain the "whys" of my statements. I need to be friendlier and more approachable. I need to be less impulsive, exercise control over my actions, words, and emotions. I should focus more on details on facts. I should slow down my pace for other team members, and talk less and listen more. YES! YES! YES!!!
The system identified Biblical examples of Concluders from the Bible:
Joshua, Noah, the Queen of Sheba, and Sarah were all Concluders. It also provided an example of Jesus as a Concluder. It was fascinating!
My husband discovered what I already knew...he's an "SC" or a Peacemaker. That description could not be more dead on! I loved reading and discovering more about his personality. I finally understood his struggles! Some examples of Peacemakers in the Bible include: Moses, John, Eliezer, and of course, Jesus.
What a GREAT night this was turning out to be!!!
After learning about our personalities, we learned about spiritual gifts and the differences between natural talents, fruits of the Spirit, and Christian roles. VERY INTERESTING! We took a Spiritual Gifts profile, and I learned that I am strongest in hospitality, faith, wisdom, exhortation, and intercession. So now, I test out these different areas to see where and how God wants to use me. I need to initiate a personal growth process.
I'm so excited to do this!!! Of course, I'm sure I don't have major giftings in all these areas, but I want to find out where my greatest gift is and use it for God's glory. It's a journey I'm ready to embark upon!

Boys

Being the mother of two boys, I am often asked, "So, are you going to try for a girl?" My reply is always the same, "Honestly, I don't know what I would do with a girl." Then, their usual follow-up reply is, "Oh, but you need a girl." I hear that a lot from my mom (although if we stop at two kids, she would be just fine with that. She LOVES her grandsons!). I hear it a lot from others too. For some people, I think that's true. Some people need a little girl. So far, I haven't felt that "need".
I feel like such a BOY mom, you know? I am all about the rough-housing, tackling, sport watching, mommy-loving little boys. I love to wrestle as much as the next dad. I'll challenge any ref on a bad call during an important game. I'll get out in the backyard and get dirty and sweaty and love every minute of it.
I love that Tristan loves sports. I love that he gets excited every time he sees a dinosaur. I even think it's precious when he sees a princess vanity on t.v. and says, "Mommy, that's for girls. I do not want that for Christmas." I love that one day, my boys will be bigger than I am. I don't know, I just love every part of being a mom to boys.
In high school, I had two close girlfriends and many casual friends that were girls, but when it came down to dependability and trust, I felt more connected to my three best guy friends. With my guy friends, I knew that no matter what, when I told them a secret, it was kept a secret. I knew that if I needed a shoulder to cry on, they would be there. When I needed someone to hang out with, with no drama attached, I could always call them. It was just easy, you know? Now that's not to say I didn't love my girlfriends because I did. I just could easily relate to the guys. They didn't really sweat the small stuff, and they got me. I think that's one of the reasons God has blessed us with boys thus far. For me, they're just easy.
Now girls are precious, precious, precious! They are sweet, like to do sweet girly things, and can grow to be their mommy's best friends (or so my mom always tells me ;D). They have the greatest clothes EVER ( you can find cute girl clothes ANYWHERE! What about my sweet boys, people?!). They think about people's feelings and write sweet notes to their parents (I did for my mom, anyway). I LOVE to play with my friends' little girls. I love to hear their stories, and watch them priss and prance around. I love to talk to them about all their beautiful clothes, purses, and make-up. It's a blast! It's precious! However, when it comes right down to it, I just cannot imagine my life with a little girl.
In the future, Channing and I have talked about the desire to have another child...WAAAAY in the future! Currently my hope is to have another little boy. I just want a house full of boys! Although that is my current desire, I know that God knows what's best, and if He gave us a girl, I know I would figure out how to be her mommy. I know I would love her just as much as my little boys and would be so thankful for her. I guess only time will tell. It will be interesting to see how our lives play out. In the meantime, I will enjoy the company of my friends' little girls. In just a few months, I will get to meet a very special little girl...Baby Girl Miller! I am SO excited and can hardly wait. Who can resist a sweet little Crimson Tide girl?!
In closing, I will say that I do have an urging desire for Channing to have a daddy's girl...totally for him, not for me. We have two little mommy's boys...110%. I know things could change in the future, but for now it's all about mommy. Don't get me wrong, our boys love their daddy, but are super attached to me!

Angel Breakfast

We were late, but we made it. This is our second year at Church of the Highland's Angel Breakfast, and just like last year, we had a great time! Here is Tristan getting ready to enjoy his yummy breakfast.
Here he is after he sang (ok, after he stood with the other three year olds who sang), preparing to ingest some more yummy vittles.
I think this was his favorite part. After the angel breakfast, he got to run and play with his best buddy, Josiah.
Aren't they cute? A lot of people think they look alike. As far as their looks go, I think they are like the chocolate and vanilla versions of each other.
Running and playing.
They found the garbage can particularly interesting. Yuck, right?More silly fun!



I LOVE this shot!
They really do love each other.
Here they are before we left. They were admiring the flowers, and Rachael and I were trying to keep them from destroying them.What a fun morning!!! We can't wait until next year. :)