Lu Lu Renae

To those of you who read my last post about Chief, I thank you.

Thank you for reading and thank you for your words of sympathy.

I wanted to share a little update with everyone.

On the day that Chief was hit, a little black kitty mysteriously showed up at a family friend's house.

Hmmm...

Had a little black kitty not mysteriously appeared, we would have continued on in life with Rascal - our only cat, but...

There was a teeny tiny part of me that felt like it was meant to be.

Chief leaves us and sends a new baby kitty (black - just like him) into our lives...to fill his void.

I couldn't pass it up.

And just because we get a new kitten a couple of days after the passing of our cat, it doesn't mean for one second that we are dismissing what happened to Chief or everything we had with him.

Chief was Chief and there's not going to ever be another cat that can replace him.

So...we set a plan into place.

We thought we would have Santa deliver this new kitty to us.

Throughout the year, Santa randomly checks in on the kids...to make sure they are being good.
Earlier this summer, to the kids' surprise, Santa even came to our house!
He's always watching...

Well, because Santa knows if you're awake, or if you're sleeping, or if you are good, or if you are bad...

then Santa knows things like when your cat, Chief, gets hit by a car.

And, he knows if you've been wishing and hoping for a new baby black kitty (just as Makayla had been).

So, the other evening, in pops Santa through our front door!

He came to deliver a new baby black kitten to the kids!

Makayla and Mason were sort of shocked (mia was sort of scared)!
They couldn't believe it!
Makayla said under her breath - "how did santa know i was wishing for a new black kitten?"

That evening will definitely be a moment that the kids will remember forever.

We don't know if the kitty is a boy or girl, but Makayla has been the one to pick the name.
Mason wanted to name it Chief

and
Mia wanted to name it Mia.

If it's a boy, Makayla wants to name him Ezekial (i told her we could call him zeke for short) 

and if it's a girl, she wants to name her Lucy Renae.  

Were calling it Lucy (or Lu Lu) for now.

The kitty is doing very well in it's new home and even Rascal is adjusting great to it. 

It fills me with joy to see the kids so happy and to see Rascal so accepting.

Through this bad time, we were given something good and as weird as it may sound to some, I think I have Chief to thank for our new little ball of fur.  He sent this kitty to us when we needed it the most - when he had to go.  

Having this new kitty in our home makes my heart happy. 

..And you know what else makes me heart happy?

This morning, I received a message from the person who hit Chief.
I don't know him, but I do know that he is a good person.
To seek our family out, to admit that he was the unfortunate driver, and to apologize, means everything to me.

For him to pass along information about the accident to me has brought me some closure and for him to send us his deepest sympathies means more to me than he'll ever know.  Receiving a sincere, heartfelt letter like that brought me peace this morning and is something I guess my heart and mind needed because I feel a little bit better today and can smile a little bit bigger about Chief.

"Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else."
-Fred Rogers

3 Christmas Questions

 Well, another Christmas has come and gone!

 

And all I can say is - 

We are blessed

and

I'm so thankful for everything we have in this life.

During all of the hustle and bustle of the season, I didn't forget to stop and give thanks - 

thanks for all that made up our Christmas and the days leading up and following it -

our health,

time spent with our family and friends,

our church,

baking cookies and playing games,

singing christmas songs and squinting at twinkling lights,

the smells of christmas,

fun with Chippy, our elf,

listening to the kids' prayers as they thanked god for "santa, chippy, jesus, and god",

reading christmas stories,

wearing santa claus hats,

giving and receiving,

repeating "merry christmas" over and over again,

believing in the magic...

I could go on and on - 

but, as we wrap up this season, I asked my kids these 3 questions today:

1.  What was your most favorite part about Christmas this year?
2. What was your favorite present?
3. Why do we celebrate Christmas?

 

Makayla:

1.  Decorating the Christmas tree.  And opening presents.

2.  Go Go My Walking Pup

3.  Jesus.  And so we can love each other.

Mason:

1.  Sitting on Santa's lap.

2.  Nerf Guns

(shocked that he didn't answer his Osaka Pee Guy - the one and only thing he asked for)

 

3.  To celebrate Jesus.

Mia:

(i know she's too young to fully answer the questions, but heaven forbid we leave her out!)

1.  Shrugs her shoulders 

(as she tilts her head and widens her eyes)

2.  Baby.

3.  I don't know.

(as she shrugs her shoulders, again, and smirks)

Photography is the beauty of life, captured.

 – Tara Chisholm

This picture brings me so much joy!

Enjoying December

These three smiles...

These three smiles are just a few of the many things I am thankful for this holiday season.

It's these smiles that reel me back into reality...and it's these smiles that help me to remember some very important things that my beautiful babes have taught me.

They've taught me to be hopeful about everything in life.

They've taught me to believe in the magic.

They've taught me how to find joy through the good and the bad.

They've taught me to be thankful in all things - even the smallest things.

They've taught me much...

and...

as I reflect on that thought 

- being thankful in even the smallest things -

there are many things that I am thankful for this December.

Aside from good health, family & friends, and the other more obvious reasons to be thankful, 

there are many other smaller things that I'm thankful for -

little things that cause me to close my eyes, take in a deep breath, and thank God that I'm here - living this life.

Things like...

a walk through a tree farm - 

the fun we have with Chippy, our Elf on a Shelf -

Click HERE to read about our first encounter with the elf 3 years ago.

building gingerbread houses and baking cookies -

being able to watch my kids put their touch on our christmas tree -

being able to attend and watch my kids have fun and learn through their christmas programs at church and at school - 

listening to christmas songs...and singing and dancing along - 

freezing our butts off at the christmas parade -

reading christmas wish lists - 

our visits with santa - 

a drive through the festival of lights and neighborhoods looking at christmas lights -  

These are just some of the little things I'm thankful for this holiday season...

the little things that make a big difference.

And while this may not seem like a big deal, I truly believe that it's important to recognize (with gratitude) those little things that are a part of our lives.

So, back to those three smiles that changed my life -

I'm so very thankful for them.

...here's to enjoying december!!

A Merry, Merry Christmas!

Mommy:  Do you like Christmas?
Makayla: Yes!
Mommy:  What do you like about Christmas?
Makayla:  Opening presents and eating cookies on Christmas and making cake for Jesus to celebrate his birthday on Christmas.

Mommy:  Do you like Christmas?
Mason: Yes

Mommy:  What do you like about Christmas?
Mason: Santa

Mommy:  Tell me about Santa

Mason:  Poop.

All the Curry grand kids!...except for Mia.
Where's Mia?
She's clinging onto me for dear life with a clenched butt.

Scared out of her mind.

Poor baby.

Mommy: Can you tell me about the birth of Jesus?
Makayla: Mary had Jesus in the stable because there's no rooms in the hotel.  The shepherds were there and the sheep and the cows and the cats were there.  People knew Jesus was born because they followed the star of Bethlehem.  The angels told them to.

We attended a beautiful and moving Christmas Eve service at our church.

Candle light, carols, and a live manger scene...with real cows! (the kids loved that).

Going to the candle light service on Christmas Eve...

it just does something to me... 

Mommy:  What's your favorite Christmas song?
Mason: Jingle Bells
Makayla: Batman smells, Robin laid an egg...

 Makayla with her cousins - Kyleigh, Gavin, and Memory

Great Grandma Mac passing out gifts to the kids.

Mommy:  What's your favorite place to be during the holidays?
Makayla: Home.

Baking cookies and decorating our rice krispy treats sent from Aunt Julie.

Mommy:  What's your favorite thing to eat during Christmas time?
Mason:  The bowling alley.

 Tossing out food for Santa's reindeer to snack on when they come by.

Mommy:  Why do we celebrate Christmas?

Makayla:  Because of Jesus' birthday.

Mason:  Because you can't ring the big bell.  You have to ring the little bell.

Mommy:  What does that mean, Mason?
Mason:  Everybody comes out and somebody rings the bell.  And that's it.

Mommy:  That's good.

The video below is one of my favorite songs...

I love this song each year and it never fails to move me.

It makes me want to do what I can to make this world a better place.

Merry, Merry Christmas!!!

2nd Week

Wrapping Presents,

Making Gingerbread Homes

Visiting Santa

and

Christmas Programs!

That's what made up our 2nd week of December!

(we would have been able to throw in there a piano recital and a birthday party, but there just wasn't enough time in our days)

I love that Makayla is very into wrapping presents.  She is a hoot to watch wrap.  She holds the tape in her mouth, holds the paper in place with her feet, and folds and wraps with her hands.  It's so funny and she always ends with a masterpiece!

...and, also, what makes her wrapping so creative is her choice of paper to use.  We have an array of paper...anywhere from Christmas to tissue paper to Princesses to Hello Kitty!

Making their gingerbread house was a lot of fun and super messy!!

While the big kids were high on pride from doing such an awesome job decorating, Mia was high on sugar from not being able to keep her little fingers out of the icing!

Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy; who gives himself by thought or word or deed in every gift that he bestows;

who shares his joys with those who are sad;

whose hand is never closed against the needy;

whose arm is ever outstretched to aid the weak;

whose sympathy is quick and genuine in time of trouble;

who recognizes a comrade and brother in every man he meets upon life's common road;

who lives his life throughout the entire year in the Christmas spirit.

-The Book of Santa Claus

...and I'm telling you - over the past couple of years, this particular Santa below has become one of my favorite things of the season

 He is SO good at keeping the magic alive and I love everything that he does for Lincoln!!

Thank you, Mr. Bell!

We had two Christmas programs for Makayla to attend this weekend -

One at church -

(a beautiful program made up of children, teens, and adults - the choirs and the hand bells.  

below is a picture of the children's choir)

And one at school -

(a very cute program about the story of Jesus' birth.  makayla played the part of a kitty cat that was living near the stable where Jesus was born.  all of the kiddos did such a fabulous job!)

Makayla getting ready in her classroom.  

With a room full of kitties, lambs, a cow, a shepherd, Mary, Joseph, wise men, an angel, and the star, Mia had this look planted on her face.  I'm not sure what was going through her mind!

Makayla's Pre-K class!

I thank God every day that she is at this school, in this class, and a student of Mrs. Sharp and Miss Martin.

We're getting closer and closer to Christmas!
This next week is going to be a busy week for us...and due to our schedule and circumstances, our Christmas Eve is one week from tonight!

...can't wait!

P.S. - I wanted to leave a little note about Glitter, our elf.  

One night, Glitter didn't move.  When the kids woke up in the morning, he was in the exact same spot, doing the exact same thing, he was doing when they went to bed that night.  (bad, mommy!)  Makayla started her day in tears! - so upset that Glitter didn't move and wasn't doing anything new.
A couple mornings later, when the kids woke up, Glitter had decorated our Christmas tree in the kids' underwear (an idea i stole off  of a Facebook friend).  Makayla thought it was so cool, but Mason was appalled.  He started his day in tears, repeating over and over again how disgusting it was!

What Mason Says

2 important conversations I had with Mason last night.

(i say important, because they're conversations that i never want to forget)

As I was getting Mason dressed in his pajamas, I was talking to him about how big he's getting. 

Mommy:  Mason!  Look at you, buddy!  You're getting so big!  Look how big your feet are!!

Mason:  (Beaming!)  I know, mom!

Mommy:  How do you get so big?!

Mason:  I practice (as he shrugs his shoulders...as in like it's not a big deal)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   

We were sitting on the couch last night and Mason, out of the blue and with a puzzled look on his face, asked:

How is Santa going to get in here if we don't have a chimney for him to come through?

That question took me by surprise and I couldn't help but smile.  Who knew his 3 year-old little mind was worried about that?

It's magic, buddy!

...never stop believing in the magic of Christmas!

1st Week

What did the first week of December have in store for us?

...Searching for the "perfect" Christmas tree on a 60 degree day!

Yes, it was 60 degrees out, but I still  had hats, scarves, and winter coats on us.

I say it every year, and I'll say it again -

Searching for and cutting down the "perfect" Christmas tree every year are some of my favorite memories growing up...and I will continue on with that tradition with my kids in hopes that those few hours at the Christmas Tree farm every year will find a special place in their memories as well.

I wanted a really small tree this year.  

But...

I think it comes close to being one of the biggest ones we've ever had.

It's nice and round.

This week, we also had a surprise visitor.

We were all downstairs in the living room, laying on the floor and coloring.
All of a sudden we heard a "THUMP" and a "BUMP" and a loud "BOOM".
The noise was coming from upstairs and Makayla, the brave one that she is, stood up and whispered "I'll go see what that was."

So...we all followed behind her.

We tiptoed upstairs and to our surprise, the elf had made a visit!  After waiting patiently and the kids asking every.single.day why the elf hadn't come to our house yet, he finally came back all the way from the North Pole!  He had somehow (with his magic) sneaked into the house and decorated Christmas trees in the kids' bedrooms!

WOW!

That sneaky little elf!
The first year he visited us, his name was Elf and last year, Makayla changed his name to Princess.  Well, when she addressed him by the name of Princess this year, Mason FREAKED out.  Princess is a GIRL'S name!!!...and Mason wasn't going to have that, so they re-named him Glitter...

!

The kids have already colored pictures for Glitter to take back to the North Pole with him and they also wrote out their Christmas list for Glitter to take back and give to Santa.

We can't wait to see the excitement that Glitter is going to bring to our house this season.

Besides decorating our tree and getting to finally welcome Glitter back into our home, mommy and daddy got to have a little grown-up time together to celebrate the season.

We had a wonderful night out for the hospital's Christmas party! -  a theme of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (with a Cousin Eddie look-alike contest and an ugly Christmas sweater contest), some of our dearest friends, one of our favorite restaurants to cater, one of our favorite bands to listen to, and some of my favorite drinks throughout the night...

It made for a great night!

...and one last thing we got to do - another one of my very favorite things to do during the Christmas season -

We had a date.
Just mommy and daddy.

We had lunch together and did our Christmas shopping.

...and to top it all off - it was snowing the entire time we were out and about!!

Aaaahhhh

'Tis the Season!!