It's a quiet Sunday afternoon, everyone is sleeping except me and baby. She's here next to me eating animal crackers and resting her little blond head on me often enough to get me to let her stay close. She is the queen of bribery. She mixes just the right amount of sweet with funny, and boom. Everyone is hers. I realized yesterday, though physically very small, she is not going to be our baby much longer. I looked at some old pictures and Bella's 2nd Christmas seems forever ago, and she is so big and changed since then, and this will be Berkeley at that age this year. I want to soak up every single second of this holiday with her. And all of them for that matter, but something about seeing those pictures, and thinking Berkeley will be that, just made me sad. We put our tree up this week, and when all lit up and decorated baby said "wow". She doesn't talk at all hardly, so that was super sweet. I think she chooses not to talk, rather than she can't talk, but all the same, she says very few words. In Bella's baby book at her age there are 3 pages filled with regularly used words. I love the differences and likeness in all three of them. Someone told me this week that  they all look exactly like me, which made me smile, because I think James looks like Bobby's brother Jonathan, I think Bella looks like Bobby, and I think Baby looks like my dad. Their blond heads I guess can't be ignored though :) Baby says mama, dada, pooh bear, nana (banana) papa, mom ( she calls my mom that) and ally ally. (when her fruit snacks are all gone). Sometimes she cries for James and wails brother, but rarely does she say that unless there are tears involved, and let me tell you, that really gets him. the queen.

I have most of my Christmas shopping done which is a huge accomplishment for me. I don't do a lot, but I am generally a Christmas Eve shopper. My parents are taking the whole family to Gatlinburg this year for our Christmas together so we won't be here to shop on Christmas Eve, which left me little choice :) Our Pastor is focusing on "A Simple Christmas" these weeks in December, and I really want to get the busyness out of the way, settle in by the fire with the kids and look at the tree. Make some crafts, read some stories. Although if the weather doesn't change, it'll be the air condition, not the fire :) but you get the idea. We are doing something called shepherd pouches , I found the idea on Pinterest and it is a pretty great one. yay for pinterest. I made a sign, that says, What can we give to our KING. We talked about birthdays, and what you do at parties, and decided that we usually give or get presents. Since it is Jesus' birthday, we thought maybe Jesus should get presents. So they each have a pouch with their name on it. When I see them giving Jesus something this month, kind words to each other, obedience to me, obedience to their Sunday School or Wednesday nights teachers, sharing or helping, no grumbling about chores, etc they get money to put in their pouch. After a month of giving Jesus their lives and hearts, we will count their money and choose from the gifts for Asia website, and according to  the amount of profit, they can give chickens, goats, or lambs to a family in need. We went to my grandma's for Christmas last night and they each got five dollars in a card. They came home, went straight to their  pouches and deposited the money. I had tears of joy as I watched them. Especially lately I feel like they have been a little greedy, bratty, and unappreciative. I'm prayerful this is a step in the right direction. I strive to make this Christmas a mix of memories for them, and having a heart toward others. I know they  are kids, and I want them to have to excitement for the lights and the tree and the presents, just as any child should. But I want us all to remember that Christmas is when God came to earth, and put a baby in a manger so it could be crucified on the cross so we could be free. We are God's reason for the season. Our great God wanted to give us salvation. Have you accepted it? Will you? Bless you all this week......