Looking forward to 2009

As the new year approaches I am reminded of all that things I didn't accomplish in 2008! I never make resolutions, I feel it's better to just not make them as to make them and break them... lol. I do like to set goals each year and I never really put those things down anyplace but in my head. However, this year I'm giving it a shot!

These are the things I'd like to accomplish in 2009 (with 365 days to do it surely I can mark off most of them)
1. Get more financially stable.(this is a big one, I hope to cut out some of the bills)
2. Shed a few pounds, but get more healthy mostly.(HUGE on the list too)
3. Take a fun vacation. (Last year's vacation wasn't exactly dreamy)
4. Read more books. (I read alot in 2008 but hope to read even more, it's a great stress relief for me)
5. Meal plan. (Every week I say I'll do this and I never do, I hope to be much better at this)
6. Call friends more. (I do quite often but it's always to whine, my goal is to call with chitter chatter or great news most often lol)
7. Learn random facts that will impress people. (I said it this way to be funny but honestly I'd like to know some fun things that other people might not know, so I can just throw out "did you know..." randomness and make people smile)
8. Printout more pictures. (I take a gillion pictures a year, seriously it might be more than a gillion, but I hardly ever print them out, gonna do it!)
9. Clip coupons. (I always have great intentions and sometimes do cut them out but never hardly use them. Let's hope they put some worth having in the paper)
10. Be a better Mom! (this will always make my list and is my main priority. I really wish to be a better Mom, I feel you can always improve)

Here's hoping 2009 is as good or better than 2008! We had a great year so even just much of the same would be great. Better than 2008 would be just fine too! :D

Welcome New Year!

So spoiled & blessed!

Christmas has come and gone and it was such an amazing time!
We were blessed beyond measure with our wonderful gifts and time with family. It was a great holiday and I was sad to see it end!

Here's our run down!

Girlie: (these are just gifts listed from anyone and everyone for her)
Hannah Montana guitar
9 different movies
Princess CD player
Portable DVD player
Cupcake Maker & Carrier
Hannah Montana Stylin' head
Littest Pet Shop playhouse
Puzzles (some really neat ones)
Build A Bear toy
Polly Pockets
Cash register (it's so neat, it scans real barcodes)
2 photobooks of her life (Year 1 & 2)
New shoes (that I had to return because wrong size - must order new online)
New coat
Few shirts (Hannah Montana, cool sayings, etc)
All kinds of Bitty Baby stuff (High Chair, fake food, mobile, canopy and several outfits)
Engraved bracelet
Pink ring
Misc Stocking Stuffers (including shapable soap)

SHE WAS SPOILED and I'm sure I'm missing things.

James got the following:
TONS of iTunes
PS3 (which he adores by the way)
Clothes (hoodies mostly which he asked for)
Cologne
Movies
a few odds n ends

I GOT :)
Celine Dion tickets (YAHOO!! - Mom and I will be going on the 13th)
Automatic Remote Start for my truck
DVD player to be installed in my truck (will be in back of headrest)
Laugh. Dance. Cure shirt from Ellen
Jon & Kate + 8 book
cool kitchen stuff
office stuff
Bath & Body works
etc.

As a family we got Rockband 2 for PS3! FUN TIMES!


Again, we were spoiled! I'm so blessed!! WE are so blessed!!
I hope everyone had a splendid Christams. We are gearing up for the new year and Girlie's 4th birthday. Just one short week and my baby will be 4 - TIME FLIES!!

From the Withrows to you - we wish you a very Happy New Year!

Unto you a child is born this day...

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.'
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.'

"How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?'

The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.'
'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.' Then the angel left her. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, everyone to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city called Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them at the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said to them,

"Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born today in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. "

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men."

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
"Let us go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."

And they came with haste, and found, Mary, Joseph and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.'

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written: "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.'
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM!

Christmas approaches!

Well, 6 days and counting! I can't believe that the holiday season is upon us and in just a few short weeks it will be the year 2009!!! It's such a fun time of year but it seems that every passing year gets more and more stressful, busy and with things as they are now, more expensive with less money.

I'm excited for Christmas. I am. But in alot of ways I'm dreading it. I dread some of the reactions to gifts I'm giving. I have no idea if my nieces and nephews will like their gifts. I usually do well with the girls gifts, so really I guess, I worry that the boys won't like theirs. Oh well, I tried! I know Girlie will absolutely adore everything she's getting. She's such a lover of Christmas. She keeps saying "it's not Christmas yet" and I'll reply not the actual day but it's "Christmastime" She loves that word and has now taken to using it often. "Momma it's Christmastime" I love it. She's enamoured by the lights and sounds of Christmas. She sings Joy to the World constantly and even throws in her French version of Jingle Bells. I love hearing her sing them. But what I'm most excited about is her waking up Christmas morning and coming down to presents and stocking. That look on her face when she sees the present she's asked Santa for since September.
However, I don't want the real reason to be overshadowed. I want her to know the real reason we even celebrate a Christmas. I'm a spiritual person and I want to include that. I love that she learns so much about Jesus and bible stories at school. Just the other day she said "Momma, who saw the big burning bush?" Then she proceeded to tell me the story. I love it!

I do wish the season was much less materialistic than it is. Girlie really isn't getting much this year compared to previous years. She gets so much during the year that it's unnecessary. I'll say that and then all the gifts my mom has purchased for her will outnumber mine by 50. UGH!

It's also difficult since her birthday is just like a week and a half after Christmas. And gift wise, I always put more weight on gifts because that's HER day :) My baby will be 4 this year (in just a few short weeks) where did time fly off to?

I'm actually in prepare mode for family coming to us tomorrow for a Christmas celebration. I do hope that I'm ready for them. I sure had a hefty grocery bill for it! Most I've spent at the grocery in forever! For one meal!!!

Happy Friday everyone - 6 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Around the World

On Saturday, Girlie participated in her first ever production. Her school had their 2nd annual Christmas Around the World Pagent. It was the most adorable thing you've ever seen! :) She was so stinking cute singing Jingle Bells in French and then Joy to the World with the entire school. I was so proud of how well she did and she wasn't too frightened to be on stage in front of everyone :)

I have a few pictures on my other camera at home (will upload those later) but here is videos to hold you over!

Singing Jingle Bells in English & French (it's a little long, but so darn cute)

At the end, the entire school sang Joy to the World! SO CUTE!!

OH I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I'm such a sucker for this type of thing too! It was a blast!

NEW PICTURE!

Girlie got her first school picture taken a few weeks ago and I just picked them up today. I couldn't be happier with them. She looks like a doll! The lady that was selling them said ok, get out your checkbook before she even showed them to me.

She's such a ham!

I love them though - see what you think!

Neglected... sorry!

I've seriously neglected my blog the past week or so. I'm sorry about that. Life has gotten so busy! I've missed you blog and I promise not to stay away long again. lol

Things have been crazy here. My brother and family came in on Monday before Thanksgiving and it's been a whirlwind since. We did something with them everyday they were here. We did jump zone, the movie Bolt (SO CUTE!), ICE! at Gaylord (fantastic, the Grinch), 4am shopping (so wonderful, I adore Black Friday!) and a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner fit for a royal family, which we are!

The sad part came when they left and my baby got really really sick :( On Saturday Girlie started getting sick, well she was sick on Saturday morning when she woke. She had a fever of 101.3 and complained tons about her throat hurting. I knew she had strep throat, it had to be. Called the Dr and they couldn't see her on Saturday but said that they could on Monday but to bring her in on Sunday (walk-in) if she didn't get better. She didn't, in fact a little worse as she broke out with a rash on Saturday afternoon. I thought she was allergic to Tylenol all the sudden since I gave it to her that day and hadn't given it to her for years, I use Motrin. Turns out Girlie has SCARLET FEVER! When the dr. said that I just sat there with my mouth open. I didn't even know that still existed. It's caused from strep and is a terrible itchy rash and strep and high fever. Lucky after a few doses of antibiotics she was better. She's nearly 100% now. She was so sick!

Today I'm going to Frankfort, KY to see my peeps! :) I can't wait to see my girlies. This is our 10th Christmas get together. It's so hard to believe we were in college 10 years ago. That seems so long but then it doesn't. I feel so old when I say I've been out of college for 10 years. CRAZY!
In any event I can't wait to see the girls. I'm leaving at noon today to go there and I'm so excited, as is Girlie - to see Chelsea!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! :) Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!

LOVE!