MY reason for the season...

As Christmas draws closer, I have really been thinking about what CHRISTmas really means. This Christmas will be different for my family as some have been laid off their jobs and others are just trying to make their dollars stretch as far a possible. That's okay with me. There will be less gifts but for some reason I feel that this is going to be a very memorable Christmas. The reason is that we have all been forced to ponder the REAL reason for the season...our Savior's birth. That is the real reason we celebrate. It's not Santa, gifts, cookies and sweets, big meals, or anything else that is "typical" for others. Our reason is JESUS.

Our family has started a tradition since grandkids have arrived...my dad always makes a birthday cake on Christmas Eve and we decorate it just like a birthday cake. The kids LOVE to see the cake all decorated because they KNOW what it means...JESUS' BIRTHDAY IS HERE! They LOVE singing Happy Birthday to Jesus! It is so cute. I can't wait until Caleb can join in the fun and actually SING! What a great thing to teach your kids.....Christmas is NOT the gifts but the birthday of Jesus our Savior. I hope Caleb learns that well and knows at a very young age that Jesus is the reason we celebrate the Christmas season.

As I think now where my family is in preperation to all be home...my dad is in Detroit waiting for a plane to arrive from Arizona, my mom is in Arizona helping my sis-in-law pack up her home of 2 years to move back to MI with an unsure future, my two oldest brothers are DRIVING a moving truck back from Arizona all the way to MI (yes, all the way across the country!), my other brother and his wife are at home job hunting from a lay off just before Christmas, and we are here my Mt. Pleasant awaiting the arrival of all of them!

Lord keep them safe! Bring us all together soon to celebrate Christmas as a family. Help us to focus on the real reason of Christmas! Help us to feel your presence and know your love. Heal any hurt from lost jobs, goodbyes, and pains from this past year. Help us all to be "healing balm" for each other as we come together this Christmas. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to come to earth as a baby and die on the cross to ransom us from our sin! We will serve you forever God as you continue to move and work through our family! We love you!

Amen and Amen!

Merry Christmas! I pray your know and celebrate the TRUE meaning of Christmas this year and in the New Year to come!

Some random thoughts on Christmas etc.

In these very unceratin times, it is so comforting to know that God has our very best interests in mind. At times it seems all we know is slipping out from under us, but knowing that God is MY rock and my salvation calms the "storms" around me.

As Christmas time approaches and I think of what this Christmas in particular is going to bring, it kinda gets me down. I think of all the people whose families are out of jobs (including some of my family), whose kids will not get gifts under their tree, whose families will not have a "Christmas dinner" on their table, whose kids might not have a HOME to celebrate Christmas morning in. Our country and economy right now are in rough shape! It makes me sad that this is what some will experience this Christmas.

Christmas should be a time filled with laughs, hugs, joy, peace, colors, lights, trees, food, smiles, warm fires, and most of all FAMILY! I can say that I am MOST OF ALL looking forward to being with my family this Christmas! I could care less about the gifts (although I LOVE to give them). I could care less about all the food I am going to eat (and I probably will eat way too much). I just want to be HOME with FAMILY around me!

I consider myself blessed just to have that!

Anyway, back to where I started this blog....I hope that Christmas this year means more to you then gifts under the tree. I hope this year, you find the room in your heart for the VERY BEST GIFT EVER....Jesus. He is the reason I celebrate Christmas and my only TRUE hope for this very uncertain future!

Thank you God for sending your Son as a baby! Peace on earth and good will toward men! AMEN!

A Reality Check...

We had an interesting wake up call the other night. We had a person hit the power poll that delivers power to all the houses around us (including ours) and it cut off power to our whole street and more. At first, we called the power company and they estimated the power would be off for about 2 hours. Of course, this happened just as we were putting Caleb down for bed (about 7:30pm). We thought "Okay, this shouldn't be too bad". We played some games by candle light and thought it was pretty neat for a while. THEN, once the two hours went by, and the house was getting slightly cooler, we wondered when it would come back on. We didn't want to go to bed without having it on because all the lights and TV and all that were still on and would need to be shut off. So, as we waited.....one, two, three, FOUR hours, the house got pretty cold. The temp was supposed to get down to 18 degrees that night.

We were starting to get worried.....the thermostat said it was 64 degrees in the house but it sure felt cooler than that. We were worried that Caleb would be too cold.....and what if the power didn't come back on......it would be REALLY cold then!

It got us thinking about the "everyday" things that we take for granted.....like heat! Yes we do pay our heating bill but it got us thinking about people who can't afford to pay their heating bill. Many are parents with kids.....we got a glimps of how it might feel to know your baby is cold at night and there is nothing you can do about it! What an aweful feeling!

Our heat DID end up coming on after 5 hours and 15 minutes without heat! Caleb did wake up but thankfully went back to bed.....his room is the warmest in the house! Praise God!

Anyway, just wanted to remind everyone to NEVER take the little things for granted....food on the table, heat in your house, warm clothes to wear outside, shoes to put on.....it is all a blessing!

We learned that once again just the other night!

Family Pictures

We had some family pictures done in October and I just thought I would post them all up here for all to see. We had some cute ones done of Caleb and I LOVE them! Enjoy!

A Child's Love...

I have been considering and pondering lately how great it is to be a parent. You have a little one (or maybe two or three or more) that love you no matter what....even if you havent' showered, done your hair, put on make-up....they love you! They love you for who you are and not for what you "might be". They love you just for being you. There isn't many people in the world today that can say that.

It seems that most people in our lives expect so much out of us...they value us because of our work ability, our ability to make money, our looks, our capabilities. Not our kids....they pretty much love us because we are THERE!

They love us because we wake them up with a smile, we give them food to eat, we cuddle with them, we give them little kisses throughout the day, we say "I love you" as much as we possibly can, we SHOW them our love in every action we do towards them. I think that is pretty special.

What an honor it is to be a parent. It doesn't come without hard days and struggles, but it is so rewarding.

Don't forget to cuddle your little one close today and tell them how much you love them....I am going to go do that right now! :)

Some pictures to enjoy....isn't he just the cutest boy ever!! I think so! :)

Tags and challenges...

Okay so one of my friends did this challenge on her blog and I thought it would be pretty fun....

Here is how it works: You go into your "my photos" folder and pull up the fourth picture of the fourth folder, and then explain what it's about.

The picture to the left is of my son Caleb and it was of our recent trip to Arizona to see my brother and his family. Caleb hadn't slept AT ALL during the plane rides so he zonked out SOO fast in the car! He was so cute.

I also decided to do her tag challenge. She didn't actually "tag" me but I thought since I talked about my WONDERFUL husband on here a lot, I would let you all know a little bit about him. Here is goes:

Husband Tag

1. Where did you meet your husband? I actually met Kirk the very first day I started school. I was homeschooled until 3rd grade and he just happened to be in my 3rd grade class. The rest is history :)

2. How long did you date before you were married? We started dating in the fall of our sophomore year (2000) in high school, got engaged just before our sophomore year in college (2003), got married August of 2004....4 years altogether.
3. How long have you been married? 4 years and 3 months
4. What does he do that surprises you? He will occationally set up a babysitter and take me out for dinner and a movie....that's my favorite!

5. What is his best feature? I love his stomach....weird but I do!
6. What is his best quality? His humility....that is what I have ALWAYS loved about him.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Not really....he calls me Ames sometimes but so does everyone else.
8. What is his favorite food? He likes a lot of food but I would say his favorite food might be steak.

9. What is his favorite sport? He loves a lot of sports but the favorite to play has to be basketball hands down!
10. When and where was your first kiss? I believe it was in September of 2001 at his parents house.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Probably just be home watching a movie on the couch.
12. Do you have any children? Yes, Caleb is now 16 months.
13. Does he have any hidden talents? He has very stretchy skin....he would be embarrased if he knew I was putting that on here :)

14. How old is he? 25.
15. Who said I love you first? I think we both said it on the same night.
16. What is his favorite music? He loves LOTS of music but probably something like Jack Johnson or that kind of music.

17. What do you admire most about him? His ablility to share his heart with a humble attitude.
18. What is his favorite color? Gosh, probably green.
19. Will he read this? Probably not.

Late in the night...

Just a few weeks ago Kirk came home feeling sick. I had been coming down with a sore throat and congestion the day before as well. Kirk had more of the "flu" symptoms though. Since we were both feeling sick, I was praying that Caleb didn't catch anything. Well, anyone who has a baby or toddler knows that whatever sickness they are around, THEY CATCH IT! Their immune systems are not as developed as ours so they catch everything. Needless to say, a few days later, Caleb started getting a runny nose and cough. That turned quickly (like the same night) into a low grade fever as well. Whenever Caleb has a fever he does NOT sleep well at all. I knew I was in for a long few days and nights!

As I went to bed that night, I was praying, "Please God let Caleb sleep well tonight because in order for me to fight this sickness I need rest.....let ALONE for him to fight what he is getting as well." So, I went to bed early anticipating to be up about every 2 hours or less. Not to disappoint, Caleb was up within an hour after I had gone to bed.....and up EVERY hour or so there after! It was a long night BUT......

The very first time I went in to comfort him, I felt a peace wash over me. At first I was very tired and, frankly, kinda mad that I had to get up with him. Then, I just felt God whisper "CHERISH THIS TIME!"

It was only a few days before that I had been mentioning to a friend how much I missed Caleb's cuddles. He just doesn't do that any more.....too many toys to play with and places to go. And here I found myself with him, at 3am and he was cuddling in my arms. Yes, he still wasn't feeling very well (and I think he was a bit frustrated himself that he couldn't sleep) but I got to spend some great moments with Caleb just cuddling as he fell asleep in my arms. I also chose to use that time to pray for him.....for his life, his attitude, his health, his development (emotionally, spiritually, and physically), and his heart! What a great time to spend with God!

It is never fun to have a sick child.....you just feel so helpless. BUT, I hope that I can cherish those times with Caleb (and any children that are to come) when they are cuddling in my arms...sick or not. They grow up WAY WAY too fast!

Although 15 months is such a fun age and they soak up EVERYTHING they are trying to learn, I do still miss those times when he fit right in the crook of my arm. My baby is growing up!

Lord, please remind me every time I up with Caleb in the night to cherish the time with him. A mother's comfort is priceless! Help me not to take that for granted!

This was taken just before "the night" I mentioned above :)

What a beautiful baby boy (not so baby anymore!)

At Gma and Gpa Starnes house "mowing the lawn"

My Guitar Heroes

I took these shots just before we left for Arizona a few weeks ago. Caleb LOVES when Kirk plays his guitar and he wanted in on the action! So precious....my little guitar heroes :)

No pants?!?!

So, these past few weeks we have been transitioning Caleb from two naps to just ONE nap in the afternoon. He had a rough time adjusting but I think it was time since he had started only taking 30-45 minute naps at a time.

So, in order for mom (me) to get showered and ready for the day (something I used to do during his first nap), we have started "pack and play time". This is mainly just a time that he has a few toys in his pack and play and he watches a Baby Einstein video on our computer. He is doing great with it and seems to be content for the most part. So these are some pictures of his "pack and play time".


He also has really been into pulling his socks off lately (not sure why) and just the other day I got done showering and went in to find that he had also taken his PANTS off! I laughed so hard. He thought it was cool too!


Isn't it great how much our kids make us laugh? It seems that the laughs come just when we need them too. God knows how to humor us through our children!

He LOVES to look at books

what mom?

yes, he took off is pants...he thought it was really funny too! :)

Oh and he loves to chew on the side of the pack and play...without pants!

Just watching the movie...

Just Playin' Around

Last night I got a quick video of Kirk and Caleb playing. This was the first time Caleb actually PUSHED the toys....he hasn't been that interested until now. I thought it was soooo cute. The video doesn't give it justice, but enjoy!

An Amazing Surprise!

This past week we got to go to Arizona as a family and visit my brother and his family. The best part was, IT WAS A SURPRISE TO HIM! I worked with Katie (my sis-in-law) to make this happen so Adam didn't have a clue! SO GREAT! We spent the week just hanging out and enjoying each other and the kids.

Caleb had a hard time adjusting to the time change (AZ is 3 hours behind us here in MI), so we were getting up at 5am each day, but we did okay. It was fun to see Caleb interact with the kids - Brooke, Kale and Banner - and to see them play together. We miss them grately and can't wait for Christmas when we can all play together again. Here are some pics from the trip!

Kirk and Caleb at the airport

Caleb sleeping on the way to their house - he didn't sleep all day long!!!

Beautiful AZ scenery on the way to Prescott

Adam and Kale - crazy eyes Adam!!

Banner - 3 months and has the cutest smile around!

Kirk and Caleb hiking

Brooklyn in her princess outfit

All the kids getting ready for bed on our last night together

Aunt Katie had to get one last snuggle before he went to bed!

Kale was so tired and very ready for bed!

Seeing Adam for the first time! Many tears :)

New Word...

Caleb has learned a new word in the past few weeks....he can now say "PAPA". This is what all my dad's grandchildren call him. Caleb's vocabulary now is extended to "dada, mama, and papa". He sometimes tries to say other things and I think he gets down the syllables. For example, we said panda the other night and he said "ha da".....who knows! I just like to think my kids is super smart ;)

Anyways, I tried to record Caleb saying his new word.....it is kinda quiet (he was whispering it for some reason) so turn up the volume quite a bit and enjoy!!!!

A picture of Caleb and his PAPA

Silly faces

Blessings...

I am not sure why I was thinking of this the other day but I sure am BLESSED!

When Caleb was napping the other day I was just thinking of how many things I have in my life that I just take in stride and don't really sit down and thank God for. Simple things. Things that I take for granted but others may only dream of having. I wanted to make a list of these things just to remind myself (and maybe you) of how blessed I (we) truely are!

1. For a God that loves me unconditionally....even when I take HIM for granted.


2. For a husband that shows me DAILY that he loves me through not only his words, but his ACTIONS! I can't believe he married ME!!! :)


3. For a son who brings so much joy to me daily....even on the days that seem "not so fun".


4. For a roof over our heads and the ability to pay for it!


5. For the blessing of being able to stay home and raise my son! I take this for granted WAY too much and I want to start realizing it's value!


6. For a job for my husband that he loves and works hard at. For people in his workplace that love the Lord and keep him accountable.


7. For TWO families that loves me and wants the best for me.


8. For parents (and in-laws) that love the Lord and pray for Kirk and I daily. Their prayers are priceless!


9. For food in my fridge, clothes on my back, heat in my house (in the winter)....the things I feel are "essentials" but many do not have!


10. For a car that works and is drivable....maybe not new or always very pretty but IT WORKS! :)


11. For the times in the evenings after Caleb goes to bed when I can enjoy being with my husband....laughing, joking and just being together.


12. For forgiveness...from my husband, my friends and my GOD!




There are so many and this list only touches on a few.

What are you thankful for today? Put it in a comment....I would love to hear!

What do you take for granted on a daily basis that you need to stop and thank God for? I know I take A LOT for granted and I want a heart check to make sure I am thankful daily!!!!


Oh, I though I would include at least one picture of my "sweet pea".......He is so cute I couldn't resist!

I just couldn't resist putting this head band on him....he thought it was so funny!

Our Little "Helper"

"what mom?"

Laundry at the Starnes house is usually done on Sunday afternoons.....well, Caleb has really gotten into "helping" me with the laundry lately. As soon as I put the basket down, he goes to work! It is all funny and cute until you get down to the end of the basket and there is ONE sock left....no match. Huh....where could it have gone? Well, about 2 hours later after all the laundry is done and put away, what do I find? The lone sock......not only is it across the room and behind a chair, but it is WET with slobber from Caleb chewing on it!!! What a character! I am sure he has the best of intentions though! :)

Life with a one year old is definitly busy but SO MUCH FUN! Not a day goes by where Kirk and I don't get a good belly laugh from something Caleb does, "says", or a facial expression he gives.

For example, Kirk and I have watched Caleb reach in his toy box many MANY times to get a toy and we say each time "one of these days he is going to fall head first into that box." Well, yesterday, he was reaching (and even grunting) to reach for a toy. I stopped what I was doing to watch......after a few seconds his feet came off the floor and BAM......he was in the toybox. He started crying right away because I think it scared him more than anything, but I was laughing so hard. One of those mom moments where your kid is crying and you are laughing......all you mom's out there, dont' tell me you don't know what I am talking about!!! :)

Anyways, enjoy the pictures of our little "helper". We are blessed beyond measure!!!

"folding the laundry"

"silly faces"

Go Tigers!

Just wanted to share some picture of Caleb in his "First Tiger's Tee". He got it for his birthday and we just love it! He sure was being goofy for the camera! He gets more and more animated each day and we just love it! Our house is full of laughter these days. Enjoy!

GO TIGERS!

Jamming on his purple guitar!

Hamming it up for the camera...

The other day I was taking some pictures of Caleb and I decided I wanted to try and video him walking (he takes about 8 steps or so by himself now). Well, I did video and I got him doing some pretty funny things. He was such a talker at this point in the day! Enjoy the video and I hope it brings a smile to your face as it did mine!

Memory Lane...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember.

2. Re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave you a memory. If you leave a comment I'll assume your playing the game, and Ill come to your blog and leave a message.

Baby steps...

I also wanted to post a little video of Caleb walking back and forth from Kirk to Grandma Reid. He is getting pretty good huh? Enjoy.

Caleb's ONE...

Well, the day has come....Caleb turned ONE yesterday! I have to admit that I did shed a few tears knowing that he is growing up so fast. God sure has blessed us this past year and held us up through some very dark times. To HIM, and Him alone, be the glory!

I remember those endless nights of little sleep, wondering if the struggles of nursing and endless cries of cholic would ever stop...THEY DID. I remember wondering if he would never nap and sleep like "normal" kids...HE DOES. I remember thinking many MANY times, "Am I doing the right thing? Is this what a "good mom" would do?...IT WAS.

There were so many times during this first year that I questioned my actions and steps I took to take care of Caleb. There were so many times I reached out to others (my mom, sisters-in-law, and friends) to get the "RIGHT" answer to all the questions I had. I finally figured out (thank you Jody!) that GOD MADE ME CALEB'S MOM. Not only did he equip me for every struggle, every tear, every problem he might have, but he equipped me to love Caleb in a way that no other mom can! I am CALEB'S mom...God knew what he was doing when He gave me Caleb and gave Caleb me as his mother. There is on mistakes when it comes to God.

I have also learned that you cannot put your child in a "cookie cutter" and expect him/her to be like every other kid. This has been really difficult for me because I have seen mothers with kids that are PERFECT and fit all the "molds"....they sleep just the right amount of hours, they fall asleep without crying, the eat every four hours on the button.....AND SO ON! Well, Caleb was NONE of that, and I learned that its okay. I need to let Caleb be himself, no matter how hard it might be.

All that to say, this year has had it's many struggles but it has not been without some great lessons. God is good! I am humbled just typing that! MY GOD IS GOOD! He has equipped me for more than I could ever imagine! Even in my times of complete doubt and despair, GOD IS GOOD and He holds me up!

So anyways, just some of the things Caleb is now doing at the age of ONE:

1. waving goodbye and hello

2. giving kisses (french kisses..a very talented one year old! :)

3. taking about 5-6 steps on his own....still a little scared to venture out

4. crawling SO FAST everywhere

5. saying "mama", "dada", and "baba"

6. feeding himself MANY different finger foods (he LOVES to feed himself!)

There is many more, but that list is enough! Again, I can't believe my baby is ONE! Happy Birthday Caleb! You bring so much joy your daddy and I! We love you more than life! We pray that as you grow, you will learn who God is and that Jesus died on the cross to save you from your sins. We pray that you will learn what it means to follow Him with your whole heart and experience the grace and peace that comes with being a disciple of Christ! You are always in our prayers. We love you, son!

Caleb and Grandma Reid....they share a birthday!

Birthday Smiles

Love, Mom and Dad

Waving...

Well, Caleb has had a new trick now for about a month but I haven't been able to get it on camera. FINALLY, I GOT IT! :) He has learned how to wave and he does it all the time (until you want him to do it FOR someone and then he won't).

He is getting so big and I can't believe he will already be ONE next month! My how time flies. I have thought many times over the last few weeks how much he has changed. Gone are the sleepless nights, screaming and crying to sleep (both him and me), and the endless days of crying. When I was in those times, it seemed they would NEVER end. When everyone told me "Cherish these times because they go so fast", I thought "YOU ARE NUTS!" This will never end!!!! BUT, also gone are the days of cuddles to sleep, falling asleep in my arms, and holding him close for hours on end. Now, with a content, BUSY, and pretty funny little boy, it seems those days went too fast. I can't believe it has been almost a year!

Anywho, Caleb just wants to say HI! :)

Summer time is here...

This past Sunday we were able to spend some much needed time AT HOME as a family and not running around all weekend. It was so much fun to spend time with Kirk and Caleb with no other responsibilities or places to be....okay, well I did have to do laundry that day, but that can be done "behind the scenes".

Anyways, as we were playing inside on a gorgeous day, we decided to head outside and see if Caleb would enjoy the outdoors. He does like the sunshine and nice weather, but once I made him feel the grass with his bare feet, he wanted to go back inside. Before that unfortunate event though, we did take some very cute pictures of Caleb enjoying the sunshine. We are looking forward to more sunny days to play outside....and hopefully get used to the grass :)