This my Jel when she was about a week old.  She was a month premature and jaundice took over.  She weighed 3 pounds 7 1/2 ounces when she was admitted to the hospital.  Thanks to God she was healed after a few days and has been fine ever since!

2002- At our beach

2003- Jel's Rock Star birthday - you had to be on the list or have a backstage pass to get in.  ;)

2004- Birthday at Disney.

More 2004

2005- Birthday at Disney

Jel & her Daddy in the back of the golf cart at Ft. Wilderness, Walt Disney World - 2005

2006- Birthday -wearing some of her presents.

2006- Birthday at the Polynesian for the Ohana breakfast.

Mr. Tom Bergeron of AFV and Dancing With The Stars with Miss Jel, at taping of AFV in the Magic Kingdom.

2007- Birthday at Downtown Disney

More 2007- Disney Channel Games - Jel was shown for most of the ads and going into the commercials.

2007- Her swim medals

2008

2009

2010- Onstage for this birthday- Port Orleans Resort, Riverside, Walt Disney World.

Meeting Ridley Pearson, author of  "Kingdom Keepers"

My Jel-Bel at the Night of Joy- Walt Disney World.

Taping of Disney's Christmas Parade ~ Jel was Christmas Tink ~ So beautiful, always ~

     One of my favorite things is watching Hockey with my hubster and kiddos.  Don't get me wrong, I could watch it all alone and still enjoy it...thoroughly.  But, with everyone together, it becomes a definite bonding time.  With my son in it and daughter working up to playing, the watching has become more focused.  We always loved the game and now, it amazes me that it's possible, we love it more.  

     You never know when God will use you to help others and last night we definitely had no idea what we were in for...
     One of our favorite Christmas traditions is driving around looking at all the Christmas decorations.  Christmas night is a must.  Time seemed to fly by us this year and it was getting late when we finally piled into the car.  Our suspicions were right, most of the lights were turned out for the night.  So, we decided to get an earlier start the next night.  Sunday night was a busy one too and we were getting worried it was getting too late, again, but not letting it stop us!  We went for our must-see houses.  We drove extra slow, slower than normal.  After we all had our side of the car facing the lights, we started snaking back through the neighborhood, searching for more houses.
     The rest was sporadic and we were just about to go get some hot cocoa, when we decided to go down one more street that looked promising.  As we drove by we realized that the lights were just lights for the plants.  (Here in Florida we don't have long freezes, so to save our plants we cover them with sheets, blankets, etc and some add lights to hold some heat in.  We use the non-LED Christmas lights, works perfect!)  The owner had sheets & landscaping blankets over his plants and for lights he used flood lights.  Why all this information?  (Wait for it...)
     As we were passing completely, our daughter looked back and noticed something weird.  At the same time I smelled the smoke.  "Um, guys...I think I saw fire in their backyard and it didn't look like anyone was out there...", Jel proclaimed.  I mentioned that I smelled the smoke, so my hubster turned around quick.  We were surprised to see the grass on fire in the backyard and she was right, there was no one around!!!
     Within the next few seconds we were all out of the car, knocked on the front door, ran around back, got the water hose on, spraying & stomping it all out!  Thankfully, we got it out just in time - it was right next to the house!  All the landscaping material was on fire.  The light on one of the plants caught the sheet on fire and it took off from there.  
     The man was very thankful, of course.  I say the man, because he was not the homeowner.  He was house-sitting for his boss and taking care of his two dogs.  His boss was in the Keys with his wife and they were almost home!  The man, Darrell, was asleep on the couch, in his jammies, and wouldn't have known until was too late. 
     We were the only ones driving around at that time, way back in the neighborhood.  We thought we were too late to see our Christmas lights.  We thought we made ourselves run late both nights and would have to try again another night.  But, God knew where we were needed at the right time, for the right thing.  Isn't that the way with so many things in our lives?  We always have our own plans.  Thankfully, God has better plans.
     

(Darrell was so thankful that he promised us that if any of our appliances need work, to call & tell them Darrell said we were the ones that saved their house and we'd get it for free!!!  Bless his heart...all we could say was, "Merry Christmas!")

     We have been rocking our lists left & right!  We have decided to "do" things for Christmas instead of buying.  We have experienced so many things and I am praying so hard that it doesn't stop when the holidays are over.  I want this to become a habit.
     
Some of the wish lists items that have been fulfilled are: 

• Bonfires with s'mores & banana boats until late in the night & stargazing - last night's lunar eclipse covered those; 
• Christmas Around the World at Epcot - each country has storytellers in traditional clothes explaining how their country celebrates the holidays (every year we miss France's storyteller, but not this year~we ran all the way there, on full tummies too!); 
• Bake cookies with Dad;
• Video games with Dad;
• Watching movies together - with parent(s) &/or sibling...that may involve a movie said guest may not normally want to watch; 
• Game night that is not on our traditional game night;

     Tonight, my almost 13 year old daughter, has asked her brother, 18 year old, Star Wars, LOTR, Call of Duty, Hockey playing, gun-loving brother, to watch Olivia Newton-John's movie, "Xanadu" with her...in his room...with popcorn...and there they are...right now.  That's love.
     And I am soooo proud of him.  No rude comments, just a funny look at me when she suggested it.  I told him to think of it as a rite of passage, something he may need if he is ever on a game show and he has no phone-a-friend left.  He gave me another look and told her to get her blanket.  Good brother.  

     Awesome big brother.  I'd even go as far as to say Hero brother.



   

     Watching "White Christmas" starring Bing Crosby reminded me of one my favorite songs from the movie - "Counting Your Blessings".  I kept hearing it over & over in my head the other night when we were out in our backyard watching the meteor shower.

     All four of us, triple layer of clothes + coats + gloves + blankets, in beach chairs (the lay all the w-a-a-a-y back), oooing and ahhhing the hours away.  It is always so much fun for me to do that with my kiddos & the hubster.  Moments shared that make such wonderful memories.  Events that are a must now.  It's expected, no excuses.  

     If there is a meteor shower, or even a good, clear night, we are out there, watching and laughing, together, counting our blessings.

(This was on my list!  Yay!!!)

Another awesome day BBQ & Blastin'~seriously, you don't need words....

     So many have asked how we homeschool through the holidays.  More want to know how to keep kids focused during this exciting and distracting time.  The secret?  Planning.

     Yep, that wonderful word, but it's true.  A little planning saves you so much stress.  You need to cue in on your target audience, your kids.  You know them better than anyone and better than any curriculum.  Take a deep breath and enjoy this time.  For those that can't break from what the lesson plans say, try to shorten their plans and add some of yours.  It will work and you will grow with it.

     When my kids were younger we would use the whole month of December to study how other countries and cultures celebrated Christmas.  Yes, you can study it over and over because every year your child can build on what they have already learned.  Field trips are almost a necessity this time of year.  And you can come up with a lot.  Find events at your local library.  See if there is a certain community in your area, like Irish for example, and see what events they have planned and you can participate.  Check out some recipes from a country you are studying or from your heritage.  Prepare them together and share them with family, neighbors, friends, etc.

     We are fortunate to live close to Walt Disney World and we go to Epcot every year for their Christmas Around the World.  Each country has their unique storyteller in traditional dress sharing their country's way of celebrating the holidays.  As my children have gotten older they are finding new things every time.  Our traditional visit to Epcot every year has inspired us to look for similar experiences in our community and all around Florida.  We are always up for a field trip!  You can interact, be hands-on, face-to-face with all the sight, sounds and smells that really stick in your memory.  And, most important, you're together as a family.

     No matter the age of the child or the adult, curriculum or schedule, you can find ways to accomplish learning and enjoying this busy time of the year, and even start traditions.  

     Our Christmas lists have been growing and they've been getting bigger...typically that wouldn't be a good thing, if we were writing lists of things we wanted others to buy for us.  Our lists have no video games, toys, clothes, T.V.'s, computers, etc.  Not that there is anything wrong with those things.  That's not what this is about.  We get those things year round, for other special days and events.  Birthdays are loaded.  It's just for us I seen how the focus, from all parties involved, can be on the getting & not the giving.  

     I say all parties involved, because we as parents set the standard.  How we are and we act is how our kids are.  How we think is how they will think.  When my hubster & I got stressed trying to balance the money spent on each kid, and stressing on who else we should by gifts and/or cards for, I had to take a step back.  What was our children learning about Jesus from all of this?

    So, we are trying to have gifts that are experiences and so far it is working great!  No stress of giving too much from this list.  Our lists have been of helping each other and others.  It's been a work in progress for sure.  The lists started as things that we/they would like to do and/or share with someone.  Now the lists have had different things added to them...things we/they would like to do for someone.  My daughter has been great with coming up her hobbies that she would love to share with others.  My son has mentioned cooking things for others.  I like that one!  It was on my list too! 

     Our lists aren't being fulfilled every day, but variations have.  I see my kids growing more open and patient with each other and us.  I see them enjoying doing things and seeing the experiences as a gift.

     My most prayed for thing on my list is: that we all keep this spirit going all year, not just for Christmas.  That we find new ways to view "gifts" and that we share ourselves with others.

~Kids with Uncle Laird~

 

     Yes, I love Snoopy.  Snoopy and Woodstock are special to me.  My mother called me "Snoopy" and I called my Anje, "Woodstock".  That is, my niece Anje.  It's hard for me to say my niece, because she is more like a little sister to me.  She is only 4 years younger than me and she lived with us for a long time.  I love her so very much!  She is a woman you feel blessed to know.  And you are if you ever have the pleasure to meet her.  For her to call you a friend, well, you've won the lottery.  I have won it and got the t-shirt with all the fixings...I can call her my sister!
     Her birthday is December 20th...right at Christmas.  She always got the red & green decorated birthday cake.  It's our joke~my birthday is February 12th, so I got the pink, red & white cakes.  Don't forget the seasonal decorations that come with that package.  We thought it was a riot!  We were always wondering what that cake would look like every year.  But, hers?  Right at Christmas?  Talk about skimpy gifts, MAN!  I wish we would have thought of the whole half-birthday thing back then!
     My Girlie lives in Virginia now and I am in Florida.  We don't get to see each other that often or talk as much as we'd like to, but when we do it's like we've never lost a moment.  
I want share her beauty with others.  She didn't have the easiest life and everything that happened to that precious girl she never, NEVER asked for or deserved!  You need to know her because of what she went through and who she is now (that's her story to tell, not mine).  She didn't let others define her and I thank God for that.  

     I am going to post about my Anje now and some more until her birthday, just because she's Anje, my Anje.

My Anje with her gorgeous fam!

 

     The other day we made our Christmas card, photo-taking trip to our beach.  It was cold.  Very cold.  So cold, we cut it short thinking that next Friday we'll try it again.  Guess what? Yep, it's suppose to be colder! Someone so messed up...we are in Florida...normal temps are 70's-80's...so, who didn't get the memo?
     It was still a wonderful day~every day is a wonderful day at the beach.  Note to self: must remember to dress warmer, must remember to dress warmer.  Need to add that reminder to my phone, it's not something we have to do here that often!

~Seb's sandman~

~Jel's sandman~

~Brave, brave woman surfing~

~My kiddos~

~My Damian~

Posing...

~Reality~

~Last shot before going home~

     Our Christmas Lists are continuing and being fulfilled at the same time!  One of the items on my daughter Anjelica's (Jel) and my list was to go to Walt Disney World's Christmas Parade...taping.  Yep, and we did!  We have been a part of America's Funniest Videos taping at Magic Kingdom and Disney Channel Games at Wide World of Sports.  My husband, Damian, son, Sebastian, Anjelica & I - have enjoyed being a part of those shows.  

     It's really interesting seeing the "other" side of the shows - the production side.  And it's very long and very...well, boring at times.  You have to go through take after take after take, and pretend/"act" like it's the very first time EVER that you are experiencing it.  We break the boredom with various tricks...lip-synching our screams - if you scream every single time you will lose your voice within an hour!  When it comes to laughing over and over, we go into our worst jokes, under our breath, as long as the boom is not over us.  Which for the parade performances it was directly over OUR heads! Yikes!  I was scared to cough!  Can't you see it?  Performer comes out, everyone is cheering but all anyone can hear is a strange, rude woman hacking a lung up!!!

     You become extremely aware of how many times you touch your face when a camera is right up against it.  Every facial tick you never knew you had, you discover.  And of your loved ones.  They told us if we wanted to be on camera, do not look at the camera.  Simple, right?  How about this guy and his helper, right in your space? 

     Nice guy, thankfully.  They all were and you feel for them.  They are lugging heavy gear around the whole time.  No matter the technical difficulties that happen.  Fun to talk too and listen to their conversations.  Picked up some interesting stories and tips.  Awesome present! ;)


Here are some other pics:

Lee Dewyze getting ready.

Jel & I in between filming.

Some of the gear.

More Lee~

~Christmas Tink~

My sweet son Sebastian...

Darius Rucker's turn.

Me, Jel and Mother~pic credit goes to Boom Guy; very nice guy =)

Jel riding the monorail~on our way to the movies (later that day).

Seb & Jel~Seb's really happy the next POTC is opening a day after his b-day, 5-20-11.