To My Friends Who Love To Read!!!!!

This is just a short little note for my friends who love to read. I found this thing for bloggers on the Thomas Nelson publishing website. If you will apply (it's FREE!), they will send you one book at a time (FOR FREE!) that you get to read and write a review about on your blog. You also have to list your review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. You can request anything from fiction to children, and it's a Christian publishing company, so you can be confident that you're reading something worthwhile. I just ordered my first book...it's one by Charles Stanley...and I'm SO excited about reading and writing again!!!!!!!! :) If you're interested, I put the little button thingy on the bottom of my blog. I think it will take you to the application page. Anyway...let me know if you do it...I'm REALLY excited about it!! :) Merry Christmas!

In Our Neck of the Woods..

We have been running around like crazy the past week or so. Today, we are going to stay home and bake and decorate sugar cookies at the house, so it ought to be interesting. I'm so ready for Christmas to get here; I already feel like this is going to be the slowest week of my life. I have ten books from the library that I plan to delve into into after the house is clean and the cookies are baked. I am reminded of how blessed we all are to have jobs, families, joy, and peace in the midst of a very uncertain world. I know Jesus gives those blessings, and I hope we all remember to thank Him as we celebrate His coming. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the presents and the music, ESPECIALLY when there are two 18 month old babies to enjoy it, but I want my focus and their focus to be on the One who gives life meaning and purpose.
Here are a few pictures of the girls from our past week...hope you enjoy!

Loving on each other...

Rylie acting silly and crawling around in the kitchen....

Sadie wondering what her sister is doing...

The view from the top....it's a good one. ;o)

At our first LC basketball game of the season....LOVE me some mini LC cheerleaders. They were definitely the hit of the stands.

Sadie is starting gynmastics on her own, apparently. I randomly catch her in the "downward dog" position for you yoga people.

How stinking cute is this??

Rylie is my crouching tiger. :)

And here are two of our favorite people ever...Aunt Lissie and Savannah...look at the eyes on those two!

I'm off to clean house...praying that your joy is Jesus!!! Love to all!!!!

Countdown to Christmas

This week was a lot of fun with the girls.:) Christmas has always been a ball, but the joy of Christmas is SO real for Nathan and me this year as we celebrate Jesus with our girls. Every part of the celebration is filled with laughter and excitement, and I'm so thankful for my kids. As with everything, life is just better with them in it! This week, we built a fort in the living room to play under. What fun!!! I remember doing this when I was a kid, and it was just as fun with Sade and Ryles.

Here we are getting ready for church in our new dresses from Nanny and Papa .... I think we were still waiting on Daddy to finish blow drying his hair. ;o)

Have more delightful gingerbread "girls" ever existed????

Going to the Jena High School "Most Beautiful" pageant to see Hannah...awfully sleepy eyeballs!

A GORGEOUS Hannah Randall with the girls...she looked amazing!! So proud to call her ours!

On Saturday, we had Christmas with the Sharbs, and we came home with so many wonderful treasures. Mrs. Dixie made aprons and scrapbooks for the girls, and they were perfect! I am blessed with wonderful in-laws who have supported and loved Nathan and me since we started dating. I am SO thankful that my girls have two sets of grandparents who love them and will teach them about Jesus and that HE is our treasure. Thanks Pop, Grammie, Nanny and Papa!! You are irreplaceable in our lives.

Saturday evening, we went to see the lights in Natchitoches. It was a little drizzly, but the girls had a great time. They were thrilled by the fireworks, and their expressions were hilarious. I'll try to post a video so you can hear the sweet screams! ;o)

Thanks, Hez, for our fuzzy vests...you keep us in high fashion!!!!!

Wade, Kurt, Mandy, and Carson...we missed you!!!! Here is the clan...my how the Brinker family has grown!!!!! I love you all more than words can express.

Looking forward to a great week! The Randall family Christmas is Saturday, and we are already looking forward to seeing all of our cousins. I can't wait to see how much all the kids have grown...hooray for the holidays. Thanks, Jesus, for being born!!!!!! ;o)

SNOW!!!!!

Okay..if you hate snow, you should skip this entire post!! There are alot of scenery pictures on this post because I wanted my family to be able to experience the snow with us.

Last night from the back deck... Haiden's gigantic snowball!

The view this morning...you would NEVER know you were in Louisiana! Talk about spectacular...totally takes your breath away. We ran around taking pictures before it melted.

The view from the front door...

My house minus landscaping. :( Hopefully, this picture will have trees and bushes in it next year!!

Down our road......

Off to the right of my house...

The view of our backyard.....

The pond at the end of the road...

The cows across from mom and dad's property....

Mom and Dad's 8 acres!!!!!!

Sadie and I driving in the front seat. Totally illegal, but it's in our driveway. :)

Sadie seeing the snow when she woke up!

Taking off to Mia's house...

I love little baby footprints!!!

Our fresh-out-of-bed snow picture! :)

Learning to throw snowballs....

What a great day so far!! Now, I am snuggling up with some coffee and a good book. Thank you, Jesus, for this life!!!!

Savannah Snowflake ;o)

We have a couple pictures of the girls, but most are of my sweet Vana and her first snow!!! We just took this, and I was so excited that I had to post them immediately. It's snowing AT THIS VERY MOMENT!! Sadie and Rylie are sleeping right now for the snow, but when they get up, we'll have picture time again!!!!!! ;o)

Rylie being silly with her straw cup...

Sadie Bug getting ready for breakfast...

Sadie pushing her own high chair out....it's a tough life around here. You have to work to eat. ;o)

The three musketeers!!!!!

Vana and her momma....

Vana with the snowdrops on her nose....

Me showing Vana the snowflakes on the ground. They actually stuck for a second or two!

We expect it to be covered in snow tonight!!!

Hooray for the SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!