to the firehouse we go!

Today we got to go to the firehouse and we have the "angel" to thank for that trip!  Our angel left us a message that said, "give to others", along with books in her hands!  The boys were super excited to find her this morning holding books that they thought was for them!  They ran into our bedroom showcasing them and excited for them- I asked "you think those are for you?"

Archer was a little puzzled by my question, so I jumped up and ran where she was and read her message to them!  Oh- what do you think we should do with these books?  Should we give them to kiddos that don't have any or you think they are for you?

Archer- oh we should give them, but how?  Mommy- let's drop them off at the fire station where they can pass them out to people that don't have any!  Archer and Ashton (jumping up and down) oh yes!  oh yes!  Where is a fire station- which one?  How will they give it to the kids?

As the boys climbed up into the car- they both carried the books with such care and pride!  It truly melted my heart to see their sweetness and to realize that not once did they fuss that they were giving them to other kids nor ask where were theirs- such hearts at such a young age! I am so blessed with amazing little boys!

As they walked into the fire station with Daddy- Kirby and I sat in the car, they both go a little nervous and shy!  Now, let me tell you Archer does not get shy- he is the kid that runs into a room announcing himself!  The fireman were cooking up their breakfast and welcomed them into their kitchen, took the books, thank them, and suggested a picture by the "boomer" with them!  All the while both boys were shy, but Ashton was grinning with pure joy!

Now as soon as they got in the car they could not stop talking about what they did, who they meet, and where they took a picture!

Lesson:  GIVE to others as GOD gave us HIS only son to take away our sins!  What an amazing selfless act that as a mother I couldn't imagine...

a ballerina

I just love everything girlie and what's better than going to a ballet!  I don't think you ever outgrow wanting to be a ballerina- well at least I don't!  Maybe that's because I'm a kid at heart...

I got to go the the Nutcracker with a dear friends Mom, brother, and friend of theirs and it was truly a blessed time!  We had a nice peaceful dinner prior to the show that made my tummy smile and heart warm!  Afterwards we headed to our balcony seats that were more than perfect and begin a journey into fairy tale land with magical music and more than perfect ballet!

I just loved it- thank you Barb for such a special treat! I even got a picture with a "star"-the rat!  Hey- I  knew my kiddos would appreciate this more than a ballerina, at least for now! 

Merry Christmas!

dinner with captain america

Our night this week included Mexican food with Captain America...Ashton left the house, dressed as Captain America, in what I thought was just going to be one errand to get Andrew his hair "gup" and then we decided to go ahead and meet Andrew for dinner since he was stuck in traffic!

I am not typically that kind of Mom that lets the kiddos rule, but once in awhile a kids gotta have some independence that isn't going to harm anyone, so Captain America it was!

He "paraded" into the restaurant as though he was THE Captain America and underneath it all there was a HUGE grin!  Folks were surprised to see him dressed up in the month of December, but smiled and grinned with pure delight and if I may say so myself my little guy was super confident and super happy with himself as Captain America!

What is it behind that costume that gave him that boost of confidence?  Is it the strength of a super hero afflicted onto him or is it the attention?  I think a little of both!  I loved to see his grin of pride that evening!  Now...the next day when he wanted to leave the house dressed up and the answer from me was a no- that grin and pride turned into a full on tantrum on the floor...

Oh I can't forget that Tortilla Santa made an appearance too... never a dull moment, which is a true blessing in this Mom's eyes!

helping Angel

We woke to find a mess in our kiddos bathroom and who do you think left it?  Henry- the elf!  Needless to say Archer was NOT happy that he left his bathroom a mess, which was comical in itself!  Ashton thought it was quite humorous!  I think their reactions tells you a little about their little personalities! 

He had wrapped the bathroom up in toilet paper- what a waste- I know, but hey it is all for a lesson!  On the opposite side of the elf was our sweet little angel with a ball of toilet paper in her hands a message that said "help others!"  So we gathered that Henry made a mess and Kay was trying to help him by cleaning it up!  So how can we help others? 

Archer, "by helping them up if they fall down!"
Ashton, "by picking up toys!"

Biblical lesson:  Jesus helped many people from a man being able to walk again and a women being able to see again!  We must have faith in HIM...

Yes, boys those are all great ways we can help others!  How can you help others? Do tell!

Hug an angel

...so today our angel's message was HUG!  Well, this Mom thought it would be cute to have our elf and angel hugging when the boys found them this morning along with the message!  ...so it was kinda good, kinda funny, and kinda bad, but I think we kinda got the message across!  giggle giggle!

It started off with Archer running into my room hollering I found them I found them!  Oh goodie I said in a surprised voice, "where?"  "what are they doing?"  He ran to the side of my bed and said I have to tell you something in a whisper, oh ok...wondering where in the world he was going with this!

"Mommy Henry (the elf) is kissing the Angel!"  giggle giggle giggle! As he leaned into me with his hand cupped around this ear and mine whispering he has a secret to tell me!  I guess he didn't want Ashton or Kirby to notice the PDA!  hehehe! 

OH MY goodness I said in SHOCK- are you sure?  As he nodded his head as though it was about to fall off with a yes- I jumped out of bed and ran into the room where they were and read aloud the message- HUG!  Archer you silly boy- he isn't kissing her he is hugging her!  OH he said with those great big ole eyes and a little grin.

...so I learned a lesson no physical contact for elf and angel because little almost 5 year olds get giggly!  ps-he does when Andrew kisses me too- its kinda cute!  I love my sweet family!

PICTURE?  Well...if I post it you too will agree with Archer- his lips are planted on the angels!  What can I say when I'm setting the stage at almost midnight in the dark!  Fun times!

Oh and the real lesson was we are to give HUGS to show others we care for them as GOD cares for us and loves us!

THE END

welcome

The message left today was welcome...well what in the world does she mean by that?  As she sat we pondered away and realized that we were having a party that day in our home and that we were to welcome others as though it was there home too!  We explained to our kids that God has blessed us with a home and we are to share it with others and make them feel welcomed (loved)!  So how do lil' ones make people feel welcomed?  Sharing toys, greeting them as they come in, and telling them they sure did enjoy them coming over- thanks!

How do you make people feel welcomed into your home?  How can you teach your children to do so as well!  It truly is not our home- it's Gods and it welcomes all no MATTER what! 

Lessons with the Angel

So each day that our angel visits I try and create a biblical lesson and or reference so that we can expand upon using the angel as a fun family tradition with our kids while we grow their walk and faith too!

Day 1: Our Angel's message was to "give me a name", so if you think about our LORD and SAVIOR- what is HIS name? He means so much and has so many different lessons just in HIS name alone! Check out the list below, reference here, and let me know what HIS name is to you! HE is my MIGHTY GOD and provider!  Ask your kids- what does HIS name mean and here their little voice and help them understand how JESUS is ____ to them!

The greek meaning of Jesus is Joshua, which means God is salvation!

In the Gospel His name was given...

Matthew 1:21

"And she will bear a son; and you shall call HIS name Jesus, for it is He who will save is people from their sins."

OLD TESTAMENT NAMES FOR GOD ELOHIM......Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1 meaning "God", a reference to God's power and might. ADONAI......Malachi 1:6 meaning "Lord", a reference to the Lordship of God. JEHOVAH--YAHWEH.....Genesis 2:4 a reference to God's divine salvation. JEHOVAH-MACCADDESHEM.......Exodus 31:13 meaning "The Lord thy sanctifier" JEHOVAH-ROHI......Psalm 23:1 meaning "The Lord my shepherd" JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH.......Ezekiel 48:35 meaning "The Lord who is present" JEHOVAH-RAPHA.........Exodus 15:26 meaning "The Lord our healer" JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU......Jeremiah 23:6 meaning "The Lord our righteousness" JEHOVAH-JIREH.........Genesis 22:13-14 meaning "The Lord will provide" JEHOVAH-NISSI.........Exodus 17:15 meaning "The Lord our banner" JEHOVAH-SHALOM........Judges 6:24 meaning "The Lord is peace" JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH......Isaiah 6:1-3 meaning "The Lord of Hosts" JEHOVAH-GMOLAH........Jeremiah 51:6 meaning "The God of Recompense" EL-ELYON..............Genesis 14:17-20,Isaiah 14:13-14 meaning "The most high God EL-ROI................Genesis 16:13 meaning "The strong one who sees" EL-SHADDAI............Genesis 17:1,Psalm 91:1 meaning "The God of the mountains or God Almighty" EL-OLAM...............Isaiah 40:28-31 meaning "The everlasting God" MORE NAMES OF GOD--Father, Son, Holy Spirit AVENGER..........................1Thess.4:6 ABBA.............................Romans 8:15 ADVOCATE.........................I John 2:1 (kjv) ALMIGHTY.........................Genesis 17:1 ALL IN ALL.......................Colossians 3:11 ALPHA............................Revelation 22:13 AMEN.............................Revelation 3:14 ANCIENT OF DAYS..................Daniel 7:9 ANOINTED ONE.....................Psalm 2:2 APOSTLE..........................Hebrews 3:1 ARM OF THE LORD..................Isaiah 53:1 AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION......Hebrews 5:9 AUTHOR OF OUR FAITH..............Hebrews 12:2 AUTHOR OF PEACE..................1 Cor. 14:33 BEGINNING.........................Revelation 21:6 BISHOP OF SOULS...................1 Peter 2:25 BLESSED & HOLY RULER..............1 Timothy 6:15 BRANCH............................Jeremiah 33:15 BREAD OF GOD......................John 6:33 BREAD OF LIFE.....................John 6:35 BREATH OF LIFE....................Genesis 2:7, Revelation 11:11 BRIDEGROOM........................Isaiah 62:5 BRIGHT MORNING STAR...............Revelation 22:16 BUCKLER.........2 Sam.22:31kjv,Psalm 18:2kjv,Psalm 18:30kjv,Proverbs 2:7kjv CAPTAIN OF SALVATION...............Hebrews 2:10 CARPENTER..........................Mark 6:3 CHIEF SHEPHERD.....................1 Peter 5:4 CHOSEN ONE.........................Isaiah 42:1 CHRIST.............................Matthew 22:42 CHRIST OF GOD......................Luke 9:20 CHRIST THE LORD....................Luke 2:11 CHRIST, SON OF LIVING GOD..........Matthew 16:16 COMFORTER..........................John 14:26(kjv) COMMANDER..........................Isaiah 55:4 CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL...............Luke 2:25 CONSUMING FIRE......................Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29 CORNERSTONE.........................Isaiah 28:16 COUNSELOR...........................Isaiah 9:6 CREATOR.............................1 Peter 4:19 CROWN OF BEAUTY.....................Isaiah 28:5 DAYSPRING..............................Luke 1:78 DELIVERER..............................Romans 11:26 DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS.................Haggai 2:7 DIADEM OF BEAUTY.......................Isaiah 28:5 DOOR...................................John 10:7(kjv) DWELLING PLACE.........................Psalm 90:1 ELECT ONE..............................Isaiah 42:1 EMMANUEL...............................Matthew 1:23(kjv) END....................................Revelation 21:6 ETERNAL GOD............................Deut. 33:27 ETERNAL LIFE...........................1 John 5:20 ETERNAL SPIRIT.........................Hebrews 9:14 EVERLASTING FATHER.....................Isaiah 9:6 EVERLASTING GOD.........................Genesis 21:33 EXCELLENT...............................Psalm 148:13(kjv) FAITHFUL & TRUE........................Revelation 19:11 FAITHFUL WITNESS.......................Revelation 1:5 FATHER.................................Matthew 6:9 FIRSTBORN..............................Rom.8:29,Rev.1:5,Col.1:15 FIRSTFRUITS............................1 Cor.15:20-23 FORTRESS...............................Jeremiah 16:19 FOUNDATION.............................1 Cor. 3:11 FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS..............Jeremiah 2:13 FRIEND.................................Matthew 11:19 FULLERS'SOAP...........................Malachi 3:2(kjv) GENTLE WHISPER.........................1 Kings 19:12 GIFT OF GOD............................John 4:10 GLORY OF THE LORD......................Isaiah 40:5 GOD....................................Genesis 1:1 GOD ALMIGHTY...........................Genesis 17:1 GOD OF THE WHOLE EARTH.................Isaiah 54:5 GOD OVER ALL...........................Romans 9:5 GOD WHO SEES ME........................Genesis 16:13 GOODNESS...............................Psalm 144:2(kjv) GOOD SHEPHERD..........................John 10:11 GOVERNOR...............................Psalm 22:28(kjv) GREAT HIGH PRIEST......................Hebrews 4:14 GREAT SHEPHERD.........................Hebrews 13:20 GUIDE..................................Psalm 48:14 HEAD OF THE BODY.......................Colossians 1:18 HEAD OF THE CHURCH.....................Ephesians 5:23 HEIR OF ALL THINGS.....................Hebrews 1:2 HIDING PLACE...........................Psalm 32:7 HIGHEST................................Luke 1:76 HIGH PRIEST............................Hebrews 3:1 HIGH PRIEST FOREVER....................Hebrews 6:20 HOLY GHOST.............................John 14:26 HOLY ONE...............................Acts 2:27 HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.....................Isaiah 49:7 HOLY SPIRIT............................John 15:26 HOPE...................................Titus 2:13 HORN OF SALVATION......................Luke 1:69 HUSBAND................................Isaiah 54:5,Jere.31:32,Hosea 2:16 I AM....................................Exodus 3:14, John 8:58 IMAGE OF GOD............................2 Cor. 4:4 IMAGE OF HIS PERSON.....................Hebrews 1:3 (kjv) IMMANUEL................................Isaiah 7:14 INTERCESSOR.............................Romans 8:26,27,34 Hebrews 7:25 JAH..................................Psalm 68:4(kjv) JEALOUS..............................Exodus 34:14(kjv) JEHOVAH..............................Psalm 83:18(kjv) JESUS................................Matthew 1:21 JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD................Romans 6:23 JUDGE................................Isaiah 33:22, Acts 10:42 JUST ONE.............................Acts 22:14 KEEPER...............................Psalm 121:5 KING.................................Zechariah 9:9 KING ETERNAL.........................1 Timothy 1:17 KING OF GLORY........................Psalm 24:10 KING OF JEWS.........................Matthew 27:11 KING OF KINGS........................1 Timothy 6:15 KING OF SAINTS.......................Revelation 15:3 LAMB OF GOD...........................John 1:29 LAST ADAM.............................1 Cor. 15:45 LAWGIVER..............................Isaiah 33:22 LEADER................................Isaiah 55:4 LIFE..................................John 14:6 LIGHT OF THE WORLD....................John 8:12 LIKE AN EAGLE.........................Deut. 32:11 LILY OF THE VALLEYS...................Song 2:1 LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH............Revelation 5:5 LIVING GOD.............................Daniel 6:20 LIVING STONE..........................1 Peter 2:4 LIVING WATER..........................John 4:10 LORD..................................John 13:13 LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.....................Revelation 15:3 LORD JESUS CHRIST.....................1 Cor. 15:57 LORD OF ALL...........................Acts 10:36 LORD OF GLORY ........................1 Cor. 2:8 LORD OF HARVEST.......................Matthew 9:38 LORD OF HOSTS.........................Haggai 1:5 LORD OF LORDS.........................1 Tim. 6:15 LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS..............Jeremiah 23:6 LOVE.................................1 John 4:8 LOVINGKINDNESS.......................Psalm 144:2 MAKER..................................Job 35:10, Psalm 95:6 MAJESTY ON HIGH........................Hebrews 1:3 MAN OF SORROWS.........................Isaiah 53:3 MASTER..................................Luke 5:5 MEDIATOR................................1 Timothy 2:5 MERCIFUL GOD............................Jeremiah 3:12 MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT................Malachi 3:1 MESSIAH................................. John 4:25 MIGHTY GOD...............................Isaiah 9:6 MIGHTY ONE...............................Isaiah 60:16 MOST UPRIGHT.............................Isaiah 26:7 NAZARENE.................................Matthew 2:23 OFFSPRING OF DAVID.......................Revelation 22:16 OMEGA....................................Revelation 22:13 ONLY BEGOTTEN SON........................John 1:18(kjv) OUR PASSOVER LAMB........................1 Cor. 5:7 OUR PEACE................................Ephesians 2:14 PHYSICIAN................................Luke 4:23 PORTION..................................Psalm 73:26,Psalm 119:57 POTENTATE................................1 Timothy 6:15 POTTER...................................Isaiah 64:8 POWER OF GOD.............................1 Cor. 1:24 PRINCE OF LIFE...........................Acts 3:15 PRINCE OF PEACE..........................Isaiah 9:6 PROPHET..................................Acts 3:22 PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST...................Luke 1:76 PROPITIATION.............................1John 2:2, 1John 4:10 PURIFIER.................................Malachi 3:3 QUICKENING SPIRIT........................1 Corinthians 15:45(kjv) RABBONI (TEACHER)........................John 20:16 RADIANCE OF GOD'S GLORY..................Heb.1:3 REDEEMER.................................Job 19:25 REFINER'S FIRE...........................Malachi 3:2 REFUGE...................................Jeremiah 16:19 RESURRECTION.............................John 11:25 REWARDER.................................Hebrews 11:6 RIGHTEOUS ONE............................1 John 2:1 ROCK.....................................1 Cor.10:4 ROOT OF DAVID............................Rev. 22:16 ROSE OF SHARON...........................Song 2:1 RULER OF GOD'S CREATION..................Rev. 3:14 RULER OVER KINGS OF EARTH................Rev 1:5 RULER OVER ISRAEL........................Micah 5:2 SAVIOR...................................Luke 2:11 SCEPTRE..................................Numbers 24:17 SEED.....................................Genesis 3:15 SERVANT..................................Isaiah 42:1 SHADE....................................Psalm 121:5 SHEPHERD OF OUR SOULS....................1Peter 2:25 SHIELD...................................Genesis 15:1 SHILOH...................................Genesis 49:10 SONG.....................................Exodus 15:2, Isaiah 12:2 SON OF DAVID.............................Matthew 1:1 SON OF GOD...............................Matthew 27:54 SON OF MAN...............................Matthew 8:20 SON OF THE MOST HIGH.....................Luke 1:32 SOURCE...................................Hebrews 5:9 SPIRIT...................................John 4:24 SPIRIT OF ADOPTION.......................Romans 8:15 SPIRIT OF GOD............................Genesis 1:2 SPIRIT OF TRUTH..........................John 14:17,15:26,16:13 STAR OUT OF JACOB........................Numbers 24:17 STRENGTH.................................Jeremiah 16:19 STONE....................................1 Peter 2:8 STONE OF ISRAEL..........................Genesis 49:24 STRONGHOLD...............................Nahum 1:7 STRONG TOWER.............................Proverbs 18:10 SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.....................Malachi 4:2 TEACHER...................................John 13:13 TEMPLE....................................Revelation 21:22 THE ONE...................................Psalm 144:2,10 TRUE LIGHT................................John 1:9 TRUE WITNESS..............................Revelation 3:14 TRUTH.....................................John 14:6 VINE......................................John 15:5 WALL OF FIRE...............................Zechariah 2:5 WAY........................................John 14:6 WISDOM OF GOD..............................1 Cor. 1:24 WITNESS....................................Isaiah 55:4 WONDERFUL..................................Isaiah 9:6 WORD.......................................John 1:1 WORD OF GOD................................Revelation 19:13 YAH........................................Isaiah 12:2(kjv),Psalm 68:4(nkjv)