Merry Christmas!

From our house to yours...Merry Christmas!!!

Baby Bean 2

Just some pictures of Baby Bean 2 at 5 weeks. He is now 6 weeks and 1 day. Such a cutie if I do say so myself! :)

A Beautiful Poem for the Season

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

Christmas Ornaments

A friend of mine posted some pictures of some of the ornaments on her tree. Now, I don't take such professional looking photos but here are some of my favorites. Our tree is a hodgepodge of places we've been and people we love. Enjoy and show me some of the ornaments on your tree!


First, the original Baby Bean in her Christmas attire. :)


This is a mask ornament from a fabulous Christmas shop in Tongeren, Belgium.


One of my favorites, from the Aquarium of the Pacific in San Diego, CA.


A new ornament this year from Aunt Nancy. I love the colors!


For the obvious reasons and to always remember there are those of us without family close this holiday season.


This is from a 6 story Christmas store in Monschau, Germany. A GORGEOUS picturesque town about 40 miles from our old home.


This was given to me by a sweet friend years ago. Her name is Hannah and her family has always been close to my heart.


The first photo we got of Baby Bean with Santa. It's from Christmas 2007 and she decorated the ornament herself!


My first Christmas ornament. We recently had a Sunday school party here at the house and one of the ladies in our class has the EXACT same ornament on her tree.

Baby Bean's 3rd Birthday

Even though she won't be 3 until the 21st we decided to go ahead and have her 3rd birthday party this weekend so all of her friends could come. The closer we came to Christmas the more of her friends were going to be unavailable for a party. So here is her party in pictures:


First we decorated Christmas sugar cookies with all the kids. These were Baby Bean's.


Then she opened her presents. Of course there was lunch in between but no one needs to see pictures of toddlers eating chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. Very messy.



Her favorite birthday gift. A mermaid night gown.


And to finish it off, a birthday cake fit for a princess! My latest creation. I'm a bit out of practice. :)

My Christmas Tree Memory

My favorite Christmas tree memory is this and some of you may remember:

Big Brother Bean's fist year in college he was part of a band called Weeping Isaiah. For Christmas that year he wanted to bring the band and their friends/significant others to our house in Selma for Christmas Caroling that year and to see the magnificently ginormous tree that is our families tradition every year. Well, since his friends were coming to see this monstrosity he wanted to make sure it was perfect and pick it out. In his defense it looked good in the forest. And yes, we get our tree from the forest and not the actual Christmas tree lot as those trees are too small. Well, once this tree was in the house, strung up with lights and decorated it was lacking something. Filler branches to be exact. We actually used green twine to tie branches into different places to make it look a little better than it actually did. It was quite the farce getting that tree in presentable shape. However, all came, caroled and ate wonderful food and were merry. So overall, a big success with a rather large Charlie Brown type tree. :) Love you Nicholas!!!!!