MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

It's a Snuggie!!!!!!!!!

Our Little Drummer Boy

sideways...oh well you get the point.

New sewing machine

The first fruits of my labor


Jeff can feel the rhythm--and you can see it in his face


New mini "claw" game


Big Game Hunter Wii game!


The big reveal---aka, his new horse

Christmas Eve at the Hunt Club

This morning we decided to strap on our boots and camo and hit the local Hunt Club...Hunt Club Farm that is!! BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

No, really there's this place in southern Va Beach, in a not quite so metropolitan area, that is a farm set up for Christmas! There were lots of animals, all of which you could pet, some playgrounds, a tractor thing, and a fabulous indoor winter wonderland type thing with animated animals, elves,etc. There was also a, what I call "semi-live" nativity, because the animals were real, but the manger scene players were just statues, which was hard for Jacob to understand! BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!! Afterward, they had some fire pits where we could roast marshmallows and hot dogs! BUT WAIT, THERE'S STILL MORE!! There was also a pony ride! AND JACOB DID IT!!!!! Let me just tell you that Jacob was able to get over so many fears today at the farm. He LOVES animals--from a distance--and can't stop talking about them once he's seen them, yet he always tends to shy away from when they are up close and personal. Well today, he pet all kinds of animals. He pet a giant mutant goat, and what felt like hundreds of little pigmy goats and their babies. He even pet a big dog and the horse! He was fearless!! It's a Christmas miracle!

Petting one of the many little goats which he just loved! He thought they were "so sweet"!

Cute, and cold, little buddy!

Jacob and Papa Steve on the tractor--Jacob didn't have to be coaxed at all to get on this tractor, in fact he was looking forward to it. Evidently things have changed since he was in Pageland and saw the tractor there!

Jeff and Jacob on the inside of the Winter Wonderland setup. It was really a spectacular job by the guys who designed the place!

Jacob REALLY wanted me to take a picture of Llama, Llama Red Pajama's baby llama and his Llama Mama

Jacob and Papa Steve by the Christmas tree garden

In the sleigh


Riding the pony!!


Still riding the pony!!


Look at how cute this pictures is!


Roasting marshmallows and/or hotdogs

In all seriousness, it was a great way to spend Christmas Eve, especially since we practically had the place to ourselves for the first couple hours! We were thinking we may even make this a Christmas Eve tradition. Tonight we are going to the candlelight service at church, and unfortunately, I won't be taking pictures there to share that experience. But, that's pretty much our Christmas Eve in a nutshell...or ten.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, remembering through all the stockings, gifts, and turkey that the greatest, most precious gift ever given to each of us was the gift of Jesus Christ--and that is why we can truly be joyful both tomorrow and each day throughout the year!

Jacob playing Wii swordfight

He's pretty good at this...

Christmas Train Show and Nativity Night

My small group leader from Bible study told me about a train show held at a local church so I thought I would try to figure out a little more about it and check it out. Well, it was GREAT!!! First of all, it was free, which is fabulous, and secondly, it was perfect for kids and adults alike. It was set up in the gym of a church--and it was on the ground, so it wasn't hard for the kids to see what was going on around the train track.

Some of what I thought should be Jacob's favorite things at the train display-fancy horses

By the end of the first night and throughout the whole 2nd night, Jacob just moved spectating spots and sat down!

The Island of Sodor (aka Thomas the Train) set up

The "circus" themed side of the display

We went one night, and decided it was so good, and Jacob liked it so much, that we would bring back everyone who came into town for Jacob's birthday--so we went back 2 nights in a row--and I think Jacob may have liked it even more then second go-round!

As an added bonus, right outside the train show (which attracts tons of people), the church had set up a live nativity. Although it was frigid both nights, we went and Jacob really enjoyed it! What a great way to share the good news of the birth of Jesus to all sorts of people who may not normally hear it!

Jacob's Birthday

So, as of this past weekend, Jacob is now 3. He had a nice little 3 year old party--we stayed here and had family and our next door neighbors over for lunch and cake. It was (according to the invitations) a cowboy themed birthday, but I let Jacob decide what he wanted his cake to have on it. (also as a side note, the extent of our "themed" birthdays have been the invitations and cake, and sort of the birthday outfit, but otherwise, we aren't exactly going all out on decorations and games,etc.) He wanted to have a blue and purple cowboy cake with horses, a cowboy, smiley face candles, and he wanted the cake to say "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle bells, etc. So here is what I came up with:

The inside of the cake was colored blue.

Jacob enjoying the cake

This year, since I have so many baking supplies sitting around, I decided to try making his b-day cake from scratch and I thought it was DELICIOUS!

Jacob actually had a hand (and a vested interest in making this cake a success) in making his cake and frosting this year!

Anyway, here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 pinch salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan or three 8 or 9 inch round layer cake pans.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
3. Separate the eggs and set the egg whites aside. Add the egg yolks one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating after each one.
4. Measure the baking powder into the flour, sift a little of the flour into the creamed mixture. Continue adding the flour and the milk alternately, while continually beating the mixture. Beat the cake batter until a few air bubbles show.
5. Beat the 4 egg whites with a dash of salt until stiff. Gently fold egg whites into the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until cake(s) test done, approximately 25 to 35 minutes.

I did it with this frosting, which was called "Grocery Store Frosting" because it tastes like the bakery cakes from the grocery store! Get it?

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 pounds confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons water

Directions

1. In a heavy duty mixer combine the shortening, butter or margarine, vanilla and water. Add the sugar and salt, beat until well mixed. Add a tablespoon or two more of water if needed. Turn mixer to the highest speed and beat for 15 minutes.

Jacob had lots of fun and got lots of neat toys ...

In the cowboy---wait for it-----GET UP---bahahahhahahahah, from Grammy

Using his magnifying glass from his outdoor adventures tent and kit from Auntie Cait and Caleb

Golf practice net from Grandma and Pop Pop

Gingerbread man baking ensemble courtesy of Grammy

Jersey set from Grandma and Pop Pop

A replacement cash register for the one we somehow lost between Dalton and Va Beach!

Showing off his new tent from Cait and Caleb. Please notice that he decorate his "house" with some spare Christmas wreaths and my late Grandmother's stocking. The inside is also "decorated" with some toys and a mini Christmas tree and Christmas tin.

That night, after the party, we went to the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Jeff's birthday with everyone who was in town. Here's the whole gang:

Jacob wanted me to take a picture of him with his grandmas--please notice that he is trying to put his arms behind their backs.

Birthdays All Around

Yes, that's right, it was the second week of December and we our days were filled with birthdays! Jacob's party was last weekend and Jeff's more intimate 3-person birthday (us!) was yesterday.

Where to start? Let's start with Jeff's--that's more manageable! Jeff started his morning off right with a visit and cracking at the chiropractors, some scrambled eggs (Jacob really wanted him to have dyed eggs like he has) then "worked from home" the rest of the day. His birthday activity request was to check out the used book store over in Norfolk, and we did. It wasn't great even though it had won one of the "coveted" Best-Of's awards in Hampton Roads. As a side note, I'm not sure how "coveted" these awards actually are--it seems that practically every place has one of those banners up. In fact, I think the Wendy's may just have one. ANYWAY, he did get a chance later on to play some of his new Wii Resort (a birthday present from his parents). It seems to be really cool- I haven't played it yet, I just watch Jeff. To finish off the day, he wanted to go eat at Chipotle and then have banana pudding. It was quite a day! Here are a few pics to help you envision our time:

Blowing out his 6 candles--we didn't have another 20.

Jacob helping Daddy open his present--a new sweater!

Jeff and his presents

Mom gave him the gift that every Jeff dreams of---4 fat steaks! HAHAHA! In the time that Jeff and I have been together, we have actually NEVER purchased steaks--they're just not in the budget!

Birthday Weekend Preview (Jacob's Backyard Driving Range)

An Angelic Idea

The whole idea of giving to those who don't have a lot, especially during this season when we remember that God gave the world the very best gift of His Son, Christ, is one that I think our fam could use a little reminder of every now and again. This time of year, like I like to say, our family is very prone to forgetting what Christmas is all about and who it is all about between all the birthdays, and this year, all the baking and preparing foods for Jeff's work. It's easy to believe that Christmas and this whole season is about driving ourselves crazy with to-do lists. That is one of the reasons we decided to get a child from the Angel Tree at the church we've been going to and buy him Christmas presents.

Now, I am not hoping to write a post and toot my horn about how giving we are, because anyone who knows me knows that this is a true area I could use a little growth in--but I am writing this so that if anyone is considering participating in the Angel Tree ministry this year, I would encourage them to do so.

We bought some things for an 8 month old little boy named Joseph and arranged to drop off the wrapped gifts yesterday after church. When we went to the house yesterday, the mother invited us in, and I could see by her face she was shocked at the number of presents we had (and it wasn't a lot, not nearly as much as we would have liked to give!) . We went inside to talk to her and her parents, who she lived with, and she told me that she didn't actually believe the Angel Tree was real. She couldn't believe that someone she didn't even know would really come through and buy gifts for her son when his father couldn't do it. (This is probably a good time to add that the Angel Tree is a prison ministry, for inmates who have children--the inmates specify what their children would like, and you buy it, and put a tag from them on it---so for children who are older, it is as if their mother/father really picked out the gifts and gave them. It kind of makes me want to cry. ) Everytime she tried to tell me how much she appreciated it, she couldn't even put together a sentence to explain it. The whole family's story was amazing, and they are believers, so it was really an extra blessing to get to meet with them and hear how God has been working in their lives even in the midst of some serious trials!!

It was just amazing to get the privelege to go and meet the family and get to talk with them for a short time. I know most of the time, you just drop gifts somewhere and that's the end, (and there is of course nothing wrong with that!!) and that is really what we had expected would happen this time. Just hearing from them how thankful they were really reiterated what God tells us to do each and every day--to love and serve one another.

If you are thinking about giving to a family or a person who is in need this Christmas season, I would encourage you to do so. It is really a wonderful way to show God's love to all His people, not just the ones we are already friends with!!

Christmas Lights at the Beach

Last night we went to the Christmas Lights at the Beach thing which was---wait for it---down at the beach! They close the boardwalk and you drive through the lights. It is about 35 blocks of lights so it took us like 20 minutes or so. There were a lot of fun, fabulous, and fishy things for us to see! Plus, and don't tell the cops this, Jacob got to get out of his seat and sit in the front seat with me while we were riding through so he could see everything--which really made this exciting! Here are some pictures of all of our favorite parts (most of them are things Jacob wanted me to take pictures of).

Crab arch-one of Lindsey's favs

Dinosaur - one of Jacob's favs

Monster truck--another of Jacob's favs

Shark attack--Jacob and Jeff's absolute favs

Before we started out. Jacob wanted to wear cowboy boots (which he likes to wear with everything these past days, including his fleece pants today) and I wanted him to wear my reindeer antlers from my days as a door to door Christmas caroler (if I can figure out a way to scan a picture of my friend and I and our 2 person traveling Christmas caroling band from back in high school, I will post it! I believe, if I remember correctly, we didn't want to spend money on Christmas gifts our senior year, so we decided to give the gift of song, door to door. Dad helped us rig up my keyboard (it wasn't small, it was huge-it probably had 60 keys) so I could strap it on and carry it door to door like a drummer in a marching band may carry his drums. It was precious--if I remember correctly)

Added bonus: This is the game Jacob and I were playing today. Jacob was the Daddy and I was the baby, whose name was, of course, Grass (the names he comes up with are really astounding at times). I was in his bed, under his covers, and he was giving me all of his "buddies" (stuffed animals), "notes" (random mail and coupons he found) and books for while I napped. He had pulled up his chair so he could read me my bedtime stories, he sat down with a book in his lap, opened the book, and then said, "Oh, I forgot, I can't read"--and that was that!