Holiday Quiz

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about emotional connections and bonds. You are happiest being around those you love. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you feel magical. You love all of the decorations and how happy people are. You like to sit back and take it all in. You think the holidays should be nostalgic and sweet. The holidays bring out your inner child. Your best holiday memories are of childhood foods and traditions. You secretly still wish you believed in Santa Claus.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

This is pretty right on - except for the bit about Santa Claus.... my parents never did the "santa" thing and we aren't doing it with our boys either. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior... while we participate in exchanging gifts with loved ones and other typical holiday traditions Santa is not a part of it for us.

Happy Thanksgiving

What comes to mind when someone asks you what you're thankful for? Is it relationships? Is it material things? My wonderful husband's automatic response to that question was "salvation". He is so good at alot of things. I am so thankful that Isaac is a good spiritual head of our household. As he will be the first to admit, he isn't perfect. But he takes his role as husband and father seriously (but not too serious). My first response on the other hand was mended relationships (can you tell I'm forever the peacemaker?). Both sides of our family have had their rocky points over the past few years and I'm so thankful to be at a place when everyone is getting along and there isn't too much unnecessary drama going on. God has really blessed Isaac and I - we are both from families that have solid marriages, we have families who love us and support us different ways, we have two beautiful sons who are healthy.... and of course we love eachother very much in spite of the challenges that we face in our life and relationship.

I'm a 1980 Baby

In 1980 (the year you were born)

Jimmy Carter is president of the US President Carter announces punitive measures and embargos against the USSR in retaliation for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupts in a violent blast estimated to be 500 times as powerful as the Hiroshima atomic bomb Ronald Reagan is elected the 40th US president in a sweeping victory US Representative Michael O. Myers is expelled from the House for his role in the Abscam scandal Hewlett-Packard announces release of its first personal computer Microsoft announces their version of UNIX, Xenix Christina Ricci, Chelsea Clinton, Venus Williams, Jessica Simpson, Macaulay Culkin, and Jake Gyllenhaal are born Philadelphia Phllies win the World Series Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl XIV New York Islanders win the Stanley Cup The Empire Strikes Back is the top grossing film "Lady" by Kenny Rogers spends the most time at the top of the US charts U.S. viewers get caught up in the "Who Shot J.R.?" cliff hanger on the soap opera series, Dallas, which is solved on a November 21 episode, drawing a record numbers of viewers

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Growing Boys

Its been two weeks since Nate got his cast off. He didn’t like the saw they used to cut the cast but other than that he was really good for the whole thing. While he had the cast he had gone from using his left hand for most things to using his right hand but he’s slowing transitioning back to being left hand dominant. He hasn’t sucked his thumb since he got the cast and we were afraid that he might go back after the cast came off but so far we haven’t noticed any “relapses”. We’re relieved that we didn’t have to wean him of the habit on our own. Nate has been talking soo much! He's putting together sentences and communicating so well.... most of the time. He calls Lauren "baby cakes" and is repeating everything (not always a good thing!). Everything thats little is "baby" and everything that is big is "daddy". So if he eats a tiny grape he says its a "baby grape" or he is playing with his cars and the big one is the "daddy car". Its so funny.... I'm glad all the "big" things aren't "mommy" if you know what I mean! ;) Nate's been very challenging lately. Sometimes I think its an attention thing, sometimes I think its an age thing, sometimes I think its all a test and I'm not sure if I'm doing well or just barely passing.
Josiah is so strong (and sometimes a little lazy). He isn't doing quite as much as Nate was at this age but I'm trying really hard not to compare. He is getting close to sitting. He can roll over from back to belly and sometimes belly to back but still struggles with that one a little. He loves to try to stand though. He can be really quiet sometimes and others he babbles up a storm. What a joy he is!

Sisters

So... I'm the oldest of five kids (4 girls and 1 boy). Our relationships obviously have grown and changed alot over the years - especially now that most of us are grown and the last two aren't far behind. I love my siblings. Its been really neat seeing us grow from just being sisters to becoming friends. Its kind of funny because I have friends that I consider my sisters both because of how close we are and because of our shared faith in Christ, but I also have sisters that I consider my friends. I'm 27, Shannon is 24, Lauren 21 and Hannah 16. Pretty far spread by today's standards, but its what we knew so to us it was normal. We're all very different in personality and temperament. Our relationships have fluctuated - hills and valleys - sometimes we're closer than others, sometimes we like eachother more than others. But right now we're all in a pretty good place. I'm really enjoying spending time with each of them in different ways. While there have been many challenges in my life through them there have also been many blessings and I love my sisters.