debating.

after our thanksgiving debacle of getting to Best Buy @ 2am and walking away with nothing, made Kreg and I really try to focus on what we wanted to get the kids this Christmas. Hunter has asked every Santa that he has seen for a Wii. He tells everyone he's getting a Wii. Which leaves the decision to Kreg and I on what to do. At times I can't fathom getting a 5 year old a $300 or more gift. But then Kreg weighs in with that he wants it also. So, it could be our family gift.

This weekend as I pondered and picked up the paper to look at the ads, I was taken back by the Season of Caring that was in the Austin American Statesman. It actually brought tears to my eyes. While I'm having the hardest time debating a $300 purchase, there are families out there that are just wishing for blankets, food, any toys at all, things to make their daily lives better. And as I continued reading their stories, that much more quilt swept over me. Christmas isn't always easy for everyone. And I know I've said it more than once, but I don't want the focus of Christmas to be presents for my children. I've been reading and re-reading all the stories and I've been putting together a list of things that we have and can donate to these people. I want to teach my kids to give to the less fortunate this time of the year. I want them to experience the joy on people's faces as they receive a gift from the heart. To me, there is no better gift then making someone else happy.

I know I'm all weepy but it's just so sad to read the stories. It's so sad that most people read the stories and move on with their lives. But just think about the impact on these people's lives if you, just one person, took the time and effort to give them one thing, either large or small. Think of the joy you could bring to their lives. To a child's life.

There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life.

Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever.

And that's how I've decided to live out this holiday season. To make as many differences as I can.



wiping my tears.......

Oh the Best Buy debacle.......after spending Thanksgiving day stuffing ourselves mad and getting to watch our boys shoot their first guns, we decided to be nuts. Best Buy was having several good deals on several laptops. $229 for a laptop + an all-in-one printer. HOLY SMOKES! We knew the lines were going to be bad so we made the decision to leave La Grange around midnight and head up to Austin. Not only was it 40 degrees outside, but it was raining. Not a good combo. Thankfully by time we made it to Austin, the rain stopped but it was still butt a$$ cold. At about 2 am, we make our way to stand in line outside of Best Buy. They were to start handing out wrist bands for the items at 3. Well, 3 turned to 3:30 and 3:30 turned into 3:45 and they finally started. By then, most of our limbs were numb and we were cursing making it until 5am when the store opened. We figured we'd grab our wristbands and head for breakfast and be back when the store opened. Sounds like a GREAT plan except that they only had 20 of the computer we were after and there were about 125 people in line in front of us. Okay. We will take either of the 2 other laptop doorbusters or the desktop doorbuster. Well, it turns out the store only had 8 of the other laptop and 20 of the desktop. And they announced that at 4:30. Now, not only were most of our limbs numb, but we were pissed. We had just wasted a perfectly good night to get some great sleep to wait outside in the freezing cold to walk away empty handed. Best Buy is on our $hit list this Christmas. We turned around and came home and slept until noon. At least at work today I wasn't the only one with a crazy Black Friday story ;)

The boys got our tree decorated and it's just as beautiful as ever.


I had to take Jayden to the doctor today. $90+ later, we are dealing with an upper-repository infection that had landed Jay on steroids. Oh.....'roid-rage. Hopefully the little bugger starts feeling better soon.

Here's a few pictures of our latest adventures:






I know this one is blurry, but it's the only one I got of Rocky and Jezabel playing. Jezzie is rocking her sweater from the infamous Target Dollar Spot!



and no......Rocky isn't ours. He's Uncle Justin's rottweiler. A gift from Kylie for Christmas.