We had a great Christmas and I am hoping to get some pictures up soon!
We celebrated a total of 5 times and 4 were at my house. In my house that is still a work in progress, but hey, it was still nice to not have to go anywhere!

I really enjoyed this Christmas. Christmas day we spent at home, just us. We hung out as a family, watched White Christmas, played with some toys and made a cute video (see previous post!).
This was one of those rare days where we are together, with no agenda, no preset plan, and no distractions. Our days are so full with school, errands, work, commitments that we leave little time to just be. So, it was nice to just be.

I don’t make resolutions for a new year, because honestly, I have commitment issues. Not sure why. I am sure if I delved deep enough, I could give you a reason! I am committed to people, but not so much a set of times, dates and places I have to be. It really makes me break out in hives. I like to be spur of the moment to have the opportunity to be spontaneous. So, that being said, I have a few goals for the new year.

One: a designated night, each week that is set aside and thus named the Stews Family Night O Fun. This will be an intentional night for us to be together as a family, focused on each other, making memories and having FUN. We will also focus on one virtue/character trait to discuss throughout our evening. Understand- this is hard for me. NOT being with my fam, because I love that, but planning something for each week and making it happen. I have felt like I have made a lot of promises to the girls lately, that I frankly, have not followed through on. It’s simple things like having a friend over, but to them it means so much.

Two: Commit to exercise 3 times a week. I like to exercise. I really do. I have just let it slide since the fall and want to make it more of a priority and less of the first thing that is dropped!

Three: Be intentional with relationships and building those.

Four: Go to Africa. Yep, you read it. Jason and I are going to Africa in February and while it is the trip we have felt led to go on for about 10 years, I am still scared to death. Not of death, in Africa, but of all the things that will shift in me, leaving my children for 10 days and stepping WAY out of my comfort zone.

So, what are your goals for 2009?

May you find the joy of Christ, this Christmas Day!
Merry Christmas from our family to yours…

Here is an attempt to reflect on Christmas past! I have an incomplete library of photos on my computer, and heaven knows I still have many unpacked boxes, so who really knows where the others are! So, I will share the last few years of our this party of five!

This was my attempt to get the girls pictures on a Sunday morning before church. Yeah, note to self, this is not a good idea to try when your husband is already gone and you have a 3 year old and an 19 month old!

But, look how cute they were!

This is the girls and cousin Lauren at Nana and Poppy’s house.
We dress up for Christmas morning, as you can tell, from Emery’s high class
diaper.

This one makes me laugh outloud, just thinking about it!
Parker, starring in the role of the Reluctant Sheep at our church’s children’s program.
She was not happy about that costume and there was no way she was
proclaiming the birth of our Savior. Not gonna happen.

Enter Bradley, or chunky monkey, as he was affectionately referred to
as a 9 month old!

All dressed up on Christmas!

This is the kids last year, listening to their Dad read Luke 2.
Engrossed and very obvious bed head.

Our attempts to get pictures last year. With an almost 2 year old.
It wasn’t pretty.

Merry Christmas 08′

We had a sweet friend, Kate Nabors, an up and comer, photographer, come and take some quick pics of the fam. It was freezing outside, hence, the quick pictures! We were pleased with what she was able to get. Here are a few of our favs:

I for one can not believe that Christmas is here in a week. I love this time of year and yet it always goes by so quickly. My kids are all now out of school! Hopefully, this next week will be full of fun, celebration, relaxing and enjoying many fun Christmas traditions.

One thing we have been doing is reading a devotional by John Farrar, called Looking Forward the the Nativity. I have loved looking through the Old Testament at the prophecy of the coming Messiah! This is a short devotional, great for families with younger children or older ones as well.
I know that this is something we will continue to do.

We have also decorated our home. I will try to post some pictures later, even though I am so late to the tour of homes. It is really different this year, being in a new home. We have poured so much energy into getting the house livable, and still have a lot to do, that I didn’t do a lot of decorating! I also, do not have a fireplace or mantle, so that cuts out quite a bit! It has been quite freeing! We still have 2 trees up, the kids have one, and several Nativities and things, but does not look like my home threw up Christmas!

We have been to several programs, parties and get togethers, as well. I am looking forward to finishing up some last minute gifts and wrapping this weekend. Just like everyone else, I am sure!

I love this time of year….

cpullam!
I will email you and get your address!

“The love of God and Jesus in my heart.”
By Parker, age 7.

We have had many conversations around being a Christ follower around here, lately. Our girl, Parker, would tell you that she believes in Jesus, that He is God’s Son, that He died on a Cross for her sins. She would tell you she prayed and asked him to “do that stuff” for her.

She can define what sin is.

She loves Him, so much.

She is reading the Word.

She has a sweet, childlike, faith.

But, she is not ready.

She still does not show conviction over her sin. She does not feel burdened by it. She does not feel the weight of it, and seek to change her heart, mind and soul because of it. Repentance is not there. We see it in moments, but we do not see a brokenness before her Lord.

And so, we continue to watch and pray. We continue to speak Jesus into her life. We stand back and we watch how GOD draws her, how He reveals Himself to her, how He brings about salvation in her life.

It is humbling, and awesome, and holy to watch. I refuse to hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in her life. I have seen the result of man stepping in and assuming because a child has head knowledge that it means they have salvation. Our prayer is and has been, that we would be used by God to speak Truth to our kids, to those around us. Jason has such wisdom and leadership in this area and I am so thankful for how He guides us.

The great thing is, God knows her heart, He knows her and loves her more than I could ever imagine. I trust that He is at work in her and He will bring it to completion.

Jason and I decided to give Parker a new, bigger girl, room for her birthday. I mean, come on, she is the ripe, old age of 7. I was also ready for some paint to go on a wall, any wall, in our new to us, home. Bright pink probably would not be my first through 35th choice, but she is 7, and should have some say in what her bedroom looks like, right??

She has been telling us for a while that she wants a pink and black room. This shows me that she is her mother’s child with her choice of black, and still a 7 year old, girl, with the choice of pink. So, I have been feverishly shopping, for about a month, to pick out her new bedding, some accessories and new lighting.

Our big plan was to surprise her when she came home from school on Friday. I had grand, HGTV big reveals, in my head. But, that did not happen. One, it took three coats of paint. Two, it was 30 degrees outside, so the paint took FOREVER to dry, and we had the 2 year old wanting to be a “helper.” Bradley and paint are not a good mix. So, it turned into a 24 hour design, instead of an 8 hour design!

Here are some before pictures:

Isn’t it beautiful? (Insert sarcasm)

Can you tell she didn’t get all her “chores” done?

Here are few pictures of the process:

We moved most of the furniture out into the hallway.

Here is Bradley “helping” Jason with the electrical outlets.
He is FASCINATED by them, especially if there is no child proof plug.

Ah, splotchy, first coat!

And, here is the Almost final result: (I still have some accessories to buy!)

This is what you see from the hallway.
Jason finished it up while I was at a party with Parker, and got most
of the styling right! The curtains are actually tie-up curtains and most of the accessories on
her dresser, I am going to replace as I find ones I like!

This is her bed, with Emery posing! She was pumped to see it before her sister!
I got the bedding from Target. I am also wanting to add a few more pillows.

Here is her desk area! We need to attach the top still!
Jason got her these shelves and
frames from IKEA to display her
artwork in! Her chair is also from IKEA.
The bulletin board is black with pink, white and green
polka dots.

Here was my little craft project! These letters I got at
Hobby Lobby and painted myself! The black has white polka dots, which is kind of hard
to see. The ribbons are the opposite print. This is super inexpensive!
The mirror is from Southern Living at Home.

Here is our first attempt at wall words.
I found this at Hobby Lobby and it seemed
to be something that I think fits Parker!

Princess- Daughter of the Heavenly King

THE BIG REVEAL!!!
She was so excited to see her room. She obviously knew that she was getting something in her room done after coming home from school on Friday! She had to wait until Saturday evening, which she did like a trooper! She loved it and jumped up and down a lot! So cute!

Here she is being interviewed by her Daddy

Parker in her new room!

My favorite moment came a few minutes after she saw her room. Jason and I were in her room with her, talking to her about her room. She told us thank you and that she really loves her new room. Then she said something to me that showed me she is growing up. She is beginning to make some connections. She said, “Do you know why I love it so much? Because I know how hard you both worked to fix it up for me.”

Tears, sweet tears. I love being her mom.

Parker came around the the painted ornament party and it ended up being a lot of fun!

Here are a few pictures of the party:

Hugging Nana after getting this:

Waiting to paint…