Growing up our christmas eve tradition was we went as a family to a candle light service and then home to snack until it was time to open gifts. Some years my dad would have to work so we'd wait till he came home to do presents. Oh the torture when you are a kid to have to keep waiting!

I always loved the candle light service. Mostly just the part where we would light candles. I always thought it was so beautiful and so peaceful. I still feel that way.

Tonight I took Judah to his first candle light service at our church. It was a service filled with families and tons of little kids. The music was lovely, the message was clear and done in a video format which felt very creative, it was a great time to gather with other believers and remember what christmas is all about. And of course at the end of the service they did the candle lighting and it was beautiful and peaceful. We sang Silent Night and turned our hearts toward heaven.

Judah did so good. My sister was with me and he loves her so he really enjoyed her dancing around with him to the christmas carols. We took turns keeping him entertained. He is a wiggler! He kept trying to reach out and get to the other kids he could see. So sweet. He particularly liked the candle lighting. He was desperate to hold a candle. However, babies and flames are not a good combo. He started screaming and squirming and trying to get to the candles, lol. It was kinda cute. We gave him one that was not lit and he was somewhat pacified. We tried to get a few photos of him with the candle near by but he was wiggling so much it was kinda hard.
We did recreate the moment at home though and got a couple nice photo's.

It was such a pleasant time and the start of a tradition with my own family.
Lance is off flying so he couldn't be with us but he will be home tomorrow so we are very happy about that!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale

2 ways to cut a pineapple

I am probably the last person in the entire world to learn how to do this. Thank heaven for the internet! Thought I would share in case you are interested :)

The pineapple is the symbol of hospitality and warm welcome.

I think they are pretty too. And tasty :)

How do you feel about Pineapple?


Click on this link for a great video of how to cut it into chunks and get rid of the middle right away.

And here is a second video that just shows the basic way to cut a pineapple into circles.


How To Cut A Pineapple - Celebrity bloopers here

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love! ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

I imagine Judah will some day love sports. It will be fun to find out which ones he prefers and if he will excel in playing.

Tiger Woods

So many comments and status updates and tweets and blogs and the list goes on...today about Tiger...tomorrow about "fill in the blank".

It gets to me when those forms of communication from my friends are so extremely negative. I expect it from the media, they love a good roast...but from people I know personally... I feel like saying "what if I messed up? would you use the same measure/ruler and judgement?" Yes, he is a "superstar" and subject to more attention...but does that give us all a right to be so cruel with our words? I mean, I agree actions should have consequences and in Tiger's situation he has hurt those around him and will need to do a lot to make changes and to bring healing...but why is it our job to skewer people who screw up in such a harsh manor?

As for Tiger...
He is just a man. The media has built him up to be something better than that, a sports super hero. But he is just a man. He needs grace and forgiveness and redemption as much as we all do. I pray that through this he gains his soul. He seemingly has had everything else up to this point. He is certainly being humbled by his own poor choices.

I read a great blog I thought I would share...and here is an excerpt from it as well:

1. You have so many words that you can share in a day. Decide whether they will be about blessing or cursing someone.

2. When someone is caught in a scandal, I visualize two buckets that I can fill. I can add to the “Shame Bucket” or the “Second Chance Bucket.” Sometimes my first/easy/fun/human nature response is to fill the “Shame Bucket” so I have to work harder not to do that.

3. For all you online peeps…write your articles, blogs, tweets, and comments as if the person in crisis (and their family) were reading it. Why? Because they do! And the jokes, snarky comments, sloppy facts and flippant remarks hurt people. Instead, devote your computer keyboard to the restoration of people.

4. Refuse to participate in the gossip session around the water cooler. Or better yet, jump in and turn the conversation towards grace and second chances. Btw, just plan on being called a “buzz kill” and not invited back to any more social functions.

5. Realize we are either part of the judgment problem or the grace solution. But we can’t be both. So choose wisely.

CELEBRATE!!!!


I lost the last 3 lbs. I am officially now at my pre pregnancy weight!!! happy!


My goal of getting to the gym has been thwarted with H1N1 and now a sinus infection...but soon I will get back to it. I was going twice a week swimming with Judah and could tell it was helping me a lot. Once we are both well we'll do it more and maybe I'll even be able to go alone once in a while to do a little more than swimming. It's good to have goals!

myself in plural

I keep finding myself saying things like "we're tired" "we love you" "we are coming" "we will do that" etc. Most of the time it is accurate as I am now always with Judah...but like 5% of the time I am not with Judah and I still find myself saying "we sure do!" and such...lol. Usually being corrected with an "Um I meant I sure do!" etc.

I am plural. We are plural.

Peas in a pod.

Chopsticks.

ying yang.

salt pepper.

milk cookies.

We go together like ramaramarama badingadading dadong.

So I love to look at christmas lights...only problem is, when you are new to a city it is hard to know where to go to look...so if you happen to be from Nashville and know of the good spots to go and see christmas lights I would SO appreciate any ideas!

We will of course go to the Opry Hotel to see lights...but not sure what other ideas...

We tried to go last year...we must have picked the most unfestive areas to try and find lights. But I am determined to try again!

Help!

:)

we had a lovely time celebrating Thanksgiving.

I had a "grown up" moment.

Every year since I can remember, my mom made the turkey and after everything was cleaned up she would save the last task of the night...cleaning the remainder of the turkey off the bones. She would dig her hands into the turkey and pull out whatever good stuff she could find...and usually the wish bone.

This year, I made the turkey. I saved the turkey for the last task of the night. It was my hands digging through the turkey for the good stuff. And yes, I found the wish bone.

I felt like a grown up.

I was certainly sad my mom couldn't come this year, but life is fluid and you don't always get what you want. There will be other years we are together I hope.

As for this year... it was nice to know I'd learned something from her watching her all those years leading up to this one.

I think I'll save the wish bone for christmas. Seems like a good tradition. Now that I'm all grown up.

We dance and sing a lot at the Lockhart home

Classic

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My favorite

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want to live in a happy state? here is the list....kinda fun....

We have the H1N1. Took baby J to the doc today and his test came back positive very fast...no doubt he has it. He is to young for an anti viral so we'll just keep his fever down and give him lots of TLC.

My SIL has it too. She is pregnant so it is more concerning for her. I am not sure where it originated but I would feel horrible if we are the ones who gave it to her :( Happy Thanksgiving! lol

I haven't been tested but I pretty much know I have it. I can't take tamiflu though cause of breastfeeding so I am out of luck on that anyways.

We of course could use any prayers you want to send up on our behalf. :)

Probably not going to be spending much time on the computer till we are well. Real life calls.

2 Corinthians 3:4,5
And such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.


Many times and for many reasons I feel like I am not enough. This verse is a good reminder to me that God fills me up and makes me more and makes me adequate. That is a nice feeling. A partnership.

A poem I ran across...

Lord, I crawled across the barrenness to You with my empty cup

Uncertain of asking for any small drop of refreshment

If only I would have known You better,

I would have come running with a bucket.


-unknown author

A. W. Tozer states, "The most important thing about you is what you think about God."

mama bear

I finally know first hand what the mama bear feeling is. If I even think someone is going to hurt my baby I go into mama bear mode. It is cellular. I almost can't think straight. Now it's not like anything specific has happened or I imagine it will but there are little things that have happened that I can feel are just the start of a mama bear moment. I would be very afraid to be the person to actually fully awaken the mama bear in me.

And this is just in regards to my son.

I feel similar things in regards to others I love. Like my husband for instance. If you mess with him...you get mama bear. If you mess with one of my siblings...mama bear. Don't even think about messing with my parents. ma ma beaaar. yup. I guess when I love you it is fierce. And others need to know that too. I'm generally easy to get along with and not confrontational...but hurt someone I love and all bets are off.

maybe having my own baby has heightened the mama bear sense in me. I feel it more now than ever.

can you relate?

not my family

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but I know them :)

I figured since I'm not spending actual thanksgiving with my family why do it on my blog :) lol.

I will get to see some of them and we will celebrate with the turkey on Saturday. I am looking forward to it! yay!

Baby J is growing like a weed.

Today I am meeting a lady in a parking lot to possibly buy some 24mo/2T sized boys clothes.

I heart craigslist.

He is probably about a month, maybe two months out from being in that size and done with the 18 mo sizes. I adore his 18 mo wardrobe. It is precious. He is precious :) but it will be fun to get some new clothes for him. Since there are no new clothes on my own horizon I will live vicariously through my child :) hehe.

*edit*
I spoke to soon. I got a new pair of jeans today. I fit back into some of my pre pregnancy pants but low rise is just not a good idea any more in my life. so mid rise it is :) they are super cute. I am happy.

And I did buy the clothes from the parking lot craigs list lady and got a box of great stuff for 30$. 24 mo mostly which is perfect. yay!

*end edit*