Playing in the Snow!

Today the wind died down and even though it was still really cold outside the kids braved the elements and went out to play. Will climbed up in the attic to get the sleds down so they could all have fun in the yard.

Will, Amy & Katie

At this point, they were close to freezing. But I had to get my pictures!

Then we added in the cousins...Charlie & Samantha!

The kids were just about frozen when they came inside. Red cheeks and frozen fingers. It looks like snow but its really ice now, it is packed solid.

We hit the road tomorrow for points south. The weather is turning nasty up here in the next 24 hours and we are getting out of Dodge!

On the Road

We are traveling. This is going to be our new after Christmas tradition. We are going to try and stay home for Christmas and then travel between Christmas and New Years. We are still figuring out this blended family tradition stuff. I really think this was our most relaxed holiday yet.

Saturday we got up, loaded the RV and the kids and drove to Granny's house in GA. After dinner we opened gifts. Mom had already bought me and Greg and combo gift, but she surprised me with some "mad money" just for me to spend. The mind is working but I haven't spent any yet. Then my sister and hubbie and my niece and nephews came over on Sunday to have Christmas again. We let "Little Ceasars" cook lunch and all ate our fill of pizza. More gifts and lots of fun.

Monday morning we pulled out of Mom's driveway...not an easy feat on a hill in an RV, and started on our trek to VA to Greg's parents house. Greg (being the super homeschool dad that he is) found us a battlefield to visit (Cowpens in SC), so that we could get another stamp in our National Park Passport. Several years ago we got an annual pass for National Parks and its something we have thoroughly enjoyed having. After our picnic lunch we started heading north again. Keep in mind that it snowed up here a week and a half ago---14 inches. In Winston-Salem, NC we started noticing patches of snow, but here in VA is small patches of grass and lots of snow....2 or 3 inches still of snow and its COLD! (Us Miss. Magnolia's may freeze) Its really pretty and I hope tomorrow to get some pictures. And more Christmas frivolities tonight. So we've had 4 days of Christmas. My sister in law just came through and told me it was getting colder tonight and the wind was supposed to really blow, great colder weather!

The RV has some generator issues, so we may have to go home and not camp. We'll have to see what tomorrow holds. We have camped in the winter with no heat and its not fun. Camping in a tin can is not cozy, in fact its downright cold.

I was blessed with 4 new cookbooks for Christmas this year...Once A Month Cooking, An Amish Cookbook by Wanda Brunstetter, A Church Potluck Cookbook & Feed your Family for $75 a week...there will be new recipes on our Menu's. Then I've gotten new books to read and gardening magazines to ponder. Greg & I bought the "Entrepenuer Boot Camp" set from Vision Forum, so we are listening to the CD's during all of our driving time...and getting some good ideas about starting a business sometime in the future. We are also diving into financial books to strengthen our knowledge of the Lord's way to best use our resources. We've got all the Dave Ramsey books, which we follow, and we ordered some Larry Burkett books last week.

We are going to be making some changes with our tv viewing habits, our Bible reading times, coming together as a family to accomplish goals, and habits/character traits/attributes we want our children to develop and build upon. We have got lots of plans for projects at home. I've already got some Christmas gifts in mind for next year, that I need to start working on...51 weeks to go! We have 2 Mission Trips we are taking, Honduras the end of Jan. and Ohio the end of June.

2009 was a great year. We were blessed with Katie's miraculous, speedy recovery from shattering her ankle (jumping in a moonwalk inflatable, long story, freak accident). We visited with family in GA, VA & TN. Greg is in his 3rd year of graduate school, completing his Masters and making awesome grades. The older boys are all employed or doing well in college! Amen! The younger 3 are enthusiastic homeschoolers who are learning more and more every day. And I am blessed and so thankful to be a homemaker, a wife, and a stay at home mom!

Merry Christmas!

We've had a very calm & peaceful Christmas Eve & Christmas Day. This is the 2nd Christmas that we have celebrated in Mississippi. The others, we have been in GA. I'm with Greg...this is going to be our new tradition. We can travel and see grandparents between Christmas & New Years (we are leaving tomorrow).

Yesterday started with making homemade waffles for breakfast. Then Greg & I went to run a couple of last minute errands. The traffic wasn't bad, but Borders Book Store was packed and they didn't have what we wanted. Hobby Lobby was relatively uncrowded! We also spent alot of time with Katie, Will , Amy & James playing the Wii. We did the bowling and the "whats your age" fitness test. Last night we did a snack supper...scallops rolled up in bacon, popcorn chicken, bagel bites, Rotel cheese dip & chips, tater tots, & little egg rolls. Then we went outside to take pictures of our house with the lights all turned on, bright & cheery. Amy made us chocolate fondue and dipped marshmallows into it. Note to self: next time use milk chocolate not semi sweet. It was rich and good and gooey. Then we all watched "White Christmas", great Bing Crosby & Danny Kaye movie. More Wii bowling and then off to bed with Visions of Sugarplums dancing in our heads.

This morning started with loaded stockings & candy bags and then the gifts. My kids must have been good this year cause Santa fulfilled their wishes. We are thankful he left us a Wii Fit Game because we have eaten lots of goodies and more to come. James cooked our breakfast and it was good. My darling husband gave me new books to read, cross stitch patterns to stitch, a necklace, and some gardening magazines. Guess I was good too this year! Greg & Katie made us shrimp & grits for lunch. Super yummy & a new Jackson family tradition. Andy & his girl Amy Kate and Sarah (Rob's girlfriend) are on their way over so we are doing grilled steaks and baked potatoes for dinner. Soon all of our kiddos will be under one roof & that makes me a happy mama!

Hope your day has been as blessed as ours!

Mama we are coming to GA tomorrow! Love You!

Merry CHRISTmas!!!!!!

T'was The Night Before Jesus Came...

'Twas The Night Before Jesus Came'
written by Unknown Author

'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "it's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.

With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

Swag Bucks

I've been reading on different frugal blogs about SwagBucks where you get "paid" when you use their tool bar to search on the internet. But, I wanted to test it out before I recommended it...so here goes.

Click on the swagbucks button located to. the right on my blog and it will take you to their website. Then you download their search bar onto your computer. Instead of searching for stuff through google, you use the swagbucks bar (powered by google, if I remember correctly) and earn swagbucks. The first weeks after I downloaded this, I randomly searched to see if I could find some swagbucks and was somewhat successful. Now, I just type in websites that I am going to visit and sometimes the bucks pop up (it will tell you if you have found one, or two or however many and you just claim your bucks) they will be automatically credited to your account. Just claim them and keep right on going. The toolbar will keep a running total of your bucks.

On their homepage you can click on the prizes button to see what you can win. I have used 45 bucks go claim $5 in Amazon cash ( you credit it to your amazon account just like a gift card) and I have done a $5 paypal payout to my account. I've done the Amazon 3 times. I ordered Greg a book for Christmas and it came yesterday...so now I can officially and publicly say...it works.

Why click on my button on the blog? Cause like everything else, I will get credited a buck or two when you sign up through my blog. I am now saving my Amazon credits to pay for goodies throughout the next year.

And it doesn't cost you a penny...nothing...nada...zip. Swagbucks come up several times a day when you type facebook into the search instead of hitting the facebook link in your favorites.

So please give this a try! It can only save you money!

***Neat thing about the book...I heard about this book on The Dave Ramsey show and wanted to get it. Its "QBQ, Question Behind the Question" by John G. Miller (practicing personal accountability at work and in life). At Borders this book was $19.99, I found it on Amazon for $4.99 (like new condition). Besides the book being in perfect condition...its autographed by the author. What a cool bonus I was not expecting. I gave the book to Greg last night and he discovered the autograph!

Andy & Rob are 22 !

Happy Birthday Rob & Andy! They are 22 today.

Being twins they share a bond that none of the rest of us "get". They finish each others sentences, like the same things, eat the same foods, watch the same shows and read the same books. And sometimes they do things that we just can't believe....see the picture below! (I can't pose this stuff people...I just seize the opportunity and catch it on film) This is slightly disturbing on several different levels but we love them anyway!

And then they pose for the picture below and "all is right with the world".
Left to right are...Amy Kate, Andy, Rob & Sarah.
Happy Birthday boys, We Love You!

Christmas Cookies

CHRISTMAS COOKIE RULES

If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookies is the test & thus calorie free.

If you eat a Christmas cookie while drinking a diet soda, the cookie has no calories because the diet soda cancel out the cookie calories.

If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Its calorie free...goes back to rule 1. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free also.

Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. this is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

Any calories consumed during the frosting of the cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have 3 and green ones have 5 ~ one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate.

AND we all know how calories like to CLING.

Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. Its a rule.

So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies ~ we only get them this time of year!

I can't claim credit for that brilliant piece of dietary rules...I copied it from an email my sister sent to me this morning.

However, let me reiterate and clarify a few things, just in case it didn't sink in..cookies have no calories if you eat during a movie, right out of the oven, with a friend, steal from anothers plate, are stressed, lick the icing knife, are broken or drink a diet drink.

This sounds like the beginning of a great new Christmas tradition to me...invite all your friends over to bake, decorate and consume. You eat off everyone else plate and no calories! And just to be safe...watch "Miracle on 34th Street"...better safe than sorry.

Changing from red to green was stressful...time to go find some Christmas cookies!

Happy Munching!!!!!