Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve 2008
Christmas Eve is one of my favorite days of the whole year. I get so excited watching the kids in anticipation of what the day and night bring. This year (and maybe the last several Kim?) we visited my BFF Kim and Katey's BFF Karli with her brothers Kyle and Nick to exchange gifts and visit. Kelly was a good sport as usual, playing with the little girls (or maybe being directed around by them would be a more accurate description). We exchanged our gifts, shot some photos, and had fun catching up. Katey and Karli were too cute dressing up.

Me and my BFF Kim, we've been BFF forever, when we used to write it on our school notebooks and sign it at the bottom of notes passed in the hallway at Westfield and ZBTHS :) This pic was big motivation for me, it is my BEFORE photo and next Cmas Eve I want to be a skinny-minnie just like Kim!

Uncle Tommy with his two nieces plus the long-lost Hilbert (VERY long story). We got to celebrate Cmas Eve at his first house. After church we headed there for pizza, cake, and presents. Very fun night and the girls got their BIG gift from Nana & Papa, the High School Musical Barbie house (oh excuse me, East High, I stand corrected by Kelly as usual!!!). Grammy & Poppy joined us, too. We missed Jenny & family who were celebrating with her in-laws and family.

Disney-Florida Vacation December 2008

Last spring Shawn started talking about our next trip to Disney and suggested December. I thought SURE!, escaping the winter temps of northern IL to central FL in Dec. "SOUNDED" fabulous. So came Dec. 16th with snow, winds, and record high travel times in Chicagoland. Finally we arrived at the airport (4 1/2 hours later, usually a 60 mins. trip) in the snow, only to have our flight delayed a good 4 hours & 40 minutes. We finally took off at 11:30pm central time minus two large suitcases we had to leave behind (very long story but did get new shirts, pajamas, toothbrush, etc. at Disney!). We finally arrived at our hotel, the lovely Disney Boardwalk at 4 am. The girls handled it all very well. Kelly said our reward for all that stress was 4 1/2 days in sunny Florida!

We visited 3 parks (Disney Hollywood Studios, the Magic Kingdom, and the Animal Kingdom), swam at the hotel, shopped at Downtown Disney, had a blast at a Luau at the Polynesian. Before we left on the 21st, we spent the morning with Shawn's parents and Meme Herrin and had a too short visit with Shawn's grandparents. The girls enjoyed a golf cart ride with Grandpa Reed before we had to head to the airport.

Our flight home was only delayed about 45 minutes, thank God but we left Tampa in the 80s and returned to OHare with minus 40 degree wind chills! Our bodies were in shock but full of fun memories of another great Disney vacation!!! Thank you Daddy!

December details

December 14th was another busy day... in the morning Katey got to be MARY!!! at church in her Sunday School's nativity play for the congregation. That was the most still I had ever seen her sit, she was so proud to be Mary. Kelly sang and played the hand bells with the older kids, too. Then that afternoon we headed to Poppy's masonic lodge Christmas party with Santa, gifts, elves, food, and crafts. The kids had a great time. Here are all the Carman great-grandkids with Santa.

Swimming Lessons

During Nov. & Dec. I took the girls to the RecPlex every Saturday morning for swim lessons. They loved it and hated for the lessons to end, they are both little fish and love the water! Someday hopefully we'll have our own pool in the backyard to splash around in.

Katey's preschool Christmas program

December 8th was a big night for our Kaitlyn! Her first Christmas program at her preschool. She was the cutest little angel, sang every song, remembered the words and hand motions, it was so precious. She was so proud of herself and we were, too! She had quite a fan club there as well: Mom, Dad, Kelly, Nana, Papa, Grammy, Poppy, Uncle Scott, Aunt Jenny, Kyle, and Sam.

Dietz-Dowell Christmas party

December 6th we celebrated an early Christmas dinner and party with the Dietz, Dowell, and Humphres' families. We had a delicious dinner out at Famous Dave's (yummy BBQ) and then the kids opened gifts back at Jenny & Scott's house. The 4 kids loved their rolled up money from Aunt Wanda especially. I love this photo of my parents with their 4 grandchildren. The best present I received this year was having Nana with us to celebrate, thank you God!

Happy New Year to all!

2008 is over and 2009 is here, wow. My older daughter commented yesterday on New Year's Eve that it felt just we just finished 2007, I couldn't agree more. Such a cliche but time flies by faster every year. 2008 brought losses, scares, disappointments, fun, laughs, growth, tears, and more.

Positive highlights I remember are great vacations including two trips to Florida & Disney World, a summer trip to Quincy to celebrate Shawn's grandparents 50th wedding anniversary, the girls' birthdays (Kelly turned 9 and Kaitlyn turned 3), my mother's amazing deliverance and healing, renewed faith from that whole experience, growing closer to my parents and siblings, loyal friendships. The list could go on and on.

Somee things that were not so pleasant and wonderful included my mom's life-threatening illness, surgery, and uncertain future, losing 2 friends and co-teachers within 9 days in November, a family tragedy re-lived. Of much lesser significance but still unpleasant was a continued struggle with weight, trying 2 new programs to lose it, and never one successful. Ahhhh...

So looking ahead today with hope, excitement, reflection, but most of all faith. Faith in my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to carry me through, to teach me to not just survive but more importantly to thrive in this new year. I am blessed beyond measure with a faithful husband, loving daughters, amazing parents, siblings, nephews, nieces, in-laws, grandparents, cousins, and friends. I have a warm home on this cold day, food in my tummy, clothes to keep me warm, books to read.

Wishing you all a most healthy, happy, faith-filled 2009! God's blessings on us all, as we draw nearer to Him.