"We must have been really good, Momma. Santa came early just to see US!"

That is what Gracie said to us! Mike and I were SO shocked yesterday evening when we heard a loud and jolly "Ho! Ho! Ho!" outside our door (actually it took us a few minutes to realize it wasn't on a holiday cartoon Autumn was watching!). I'm ashamed to say I was STILL in my PAJAMAS - dern ya'll - but Santa didn't seem to care! He had to be the REAL thing! His eyes really twinkled people! My girls mouths fell open as he handed them gorgeous red bags with their names embroidered on the front. Santa's sack was overflowing with beautiful, quite generous gifts that the girls just squealed over! Now folks, I must say I tried to hold it together...at first I was so shocked I couldn't do anything but nod when Santa asked the girls if their names were Gracie and Autumn....then I began to realize that someone or someones had heart strings stirred by our Gracious Father to bless our family in a way that Mike and I never could have this Christmas. The tears started falling and poor Santa witnessed the "ugly cry" no doubt! Again he didn't seem to care. Then Santa pulled a present (literally) out of his sleeve for Mike and I...I can't even begin to express how generously stuffed this card was! The Lord's provision right before our very eyes! Now, anyone who knows me at all knows how unlikely it is for ME to be SPEECHLESS...but dad-blab-it....I COULD NOT MAKE MY MOUTH FORM WORDS! Oh, my heart was sending up groans only the Holy Spirit could understand....but words had left me! Poor Santa, I wanted to hug his neck so bad...but I just couldn't possibly move! I was afraid if I started hugging Santa I wouldn't stop or I might just bowl him over into the front yard and God Bless Him...as I said he already had to endure the "ugly cry" the "hug of death" might have been too much! If I could do it over however, I would at least muster more than a wimpy "thank you" with my eyes all bugged out!

It was a real live Christmas miracle and this family is not likely to forget it in a million years! I struggled so much with not being able to say thank you in a way that seemed comparable with the enormous blessing Santa and all his helpers brought for us last night, but God knows my heart and it is so full of love and thanks I'm about to explode! So beware. If you run into me I'm liable to hug YOUR neck off! The need to hug has to be used somewhere people!

So without further adu...here are some pictures from last nights surprise visit from Santa!

Here's Gracie playing the new VIDEO GAME SYSTEM Santa brought...WOW!


Here she is swooning over a necklace/bracelet making kit....MY GOODNESS!


Here's Autumn with her eyes all bugged out at her new ART SET! SWEET MERCY!



Here she is getting all dolled up with her new LIP GLOSS!

It took Gracie all of 10 seconds to get her first necklace made! It said Gracie Williams!

Sorry about the little panty-waist here...she had just come out of the potty and there was no time for getting dressed! And she was way to interested in the beautiful presents to care anyway...here she's getting fancy with her new PRINCESS brush and mirror set!

Each of the girls had beautiful, scrumptously soft Christmas blankets in there sacks! BOTH girls fell asleep under them last night. They were totally exhausted from all the fun with new toys!

Here are the GORGEOUS sacks the girls toys were in! Simply GORGEOUS!

Last night was a memory that I'll store in my heart and treasure for the rest of my life! And one day, I'll get to watch the "playback" in Heaven with all the generous people responsible for it! I don't know exactly who to thank. So for now I'll pour out my thanks to the Lord from whom all good gifts come and ask Him to bless times a thousand those who gave from their hearts and chose to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus during this season when the greatest miracle and gift was given to us all - Jesus Christ the Lord! So celebrate with me, a Babe born in a manger, the Savior, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Hosannah in the Highest, Emmanuel! Our Lord so big and mighty, yet so personal, He leaned down from on high and whispered a song of love to someone who sang it back to us last night! God Bless you! Merry Christmas!

Baby Girl

Gracie,

Daddy and I wanted to say "Happy Birthday" to you, our sweet baby girl. Our first born baby - you came blazing into this world on a cold December night 7 years ago and we have treasured every moment with you since! We could never have dreamed of a more amazing child to break us in to parenthood. You make being parents easy and lovely! You bring us so much joy. You make us laugh everyday with your funny poems and pranks. You are so kind and loving. You have a heart for the Lord and a tenderness toward people that is such a blessing to watch. You are absolutely brilliant and beautiful.

Some of your current likes:

-CLOTHES!!!
-SHOES!!!
-music & dancing
-wrestling with Daddy
-jump roping
-homework & reading
-riding the bus
-Sunday school
-Family Night
-board games

Some of your dislikes:

-onions
-for Mommy to tell you what to wear
(and that's pretty much it because you are always so positive and easy going)

Some of your funny sayings (words):

-owbrays (eyebrows)
-bump (forehead)
-"In the Gherto" (this is what you sing when you sing the Elvis song)
-crawlapillers

We are so thankful that the Lord allowed us to be your Momma and Daddy! You are sunshine in our lives! You are the sweetest and most amazing little girl. We are so proud of you and we love you with all our hearts!

Happy Birthday, Booger!

Can you guess "Who's Who"?

Well, it's the day before my first born's 7th birthday...so I'm digging through baby pictures and re-living every chubby leg and cheek! Here are some pre-birthday pictures...I plan to do a birth to 7 year slide show for Gracie tomorrow! I thought perhaps some of you had never seen Gracie & Autumn's newborn pictures. They look identical! Can you guess which one is Gracie? Autumn? Me? :)

From top to bottom:

Picture #1 Autumn Joye (6 weeks) / Gracelynn Michelle (6 weeks)

Picture #2 Autumn (6 weeks) 2005

Picture #3 Gracie (6 weeks) 2002

Picture #4 Autumn (3 years) 2008

Picture #5 Catrina Joye (4 years) 1984

If you got all the right answers, well...good for you! Look for the slide show tomorrow! :)

Rain, Rain....

Who doesn't love a good book on rainy days like these?!

Man Of Steel

Ooh la, la... who is this man who wears the underwear outside of his pants and is STILL super cool??? How could such a man that wears the underwear outside of his pants have a face that is sooo serious, with such a chin of stone?? It takes a special man to do this. Let's face it, it's a serious world out there. Looks like a job for Superman. Yes.
Create your own FACEinHOLE

Follow That Dream...

Anyone who knows me KNOWS what this is all about! Follow that dream, baby, follow that dream... Thankyouverymuch!!!
Create your own FACEinHOLE

Thanksgiving 2008

Post-Thanksgiving greetings friends!


I hope each of you enjoyed a truly blessed Thanksgiving holiday. We most definitely did!

Since our first Thanksgiving married it has been our tradition to celebrate Thursday with the Williams clan and the Saturday following with my brood! This works well for us and ensures a very relaxed time with all family :)


I just wanted to post a few pictures of all the fun. All the pictures from dinner at my Mom's are on her camera...I'll try to wrangle those soon and add them here!


Thanks be unto the Lord. He is Good.


Here's Little Man drummin' along with the rest of the Rockbanders!





Sisters! And other sister in picture above! Jayme...next time we need YOU in here!




My little book-worm...like mother like daughter!




Helping Aunt Krystle!

We are Rock Stars! (AKA - I have no idea what I'm doing)