Clint, Angie, Jessica and Samantha Smith: 2012

Monday, December 31, 2012

New Year's Eve

Snow sledding at the Brown's Barn...

There's a first time for everything!

Sela's making her New Year's Wish. Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Hanging Out at Subie and Scottie's House

Taking a break from packing up Christmas decorations.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas Eve at Nana and PawPaw's House

Mom and I have always preferred Christmas Eve to Christmas morning,

so we always spend it in Columbia.

Mom is a professional shopper and

Jes and Sam are professional gift openers,
so they go really well together at Christmas.

I tried to get a picture of Linda, Hanna, Mandy and Drew
but Jess wasn't sharing the spotlight. Photobomb!

Drew is on leave and probably won't get to come back for a year.

Caden was at his Dad's this Christmas. It's not the same without him...

Samantha always changes into her PJ's while we're there
just in case Santa gets to our house early!

She doesn't want him to pass us by
so she's ready for bed right when we get home!

Dewayne's having to pump the airbrush kit
he bought the girls while Samantha paints.

I know he's loving that!

We've done our damage,
the only gifts left are for Caden to open tomorrow!
"Thank you and goodnight!"

Sunday, December 9, 2012

In this year's Christmas play Jessica and Samantha played sisters who fight a lot. (Art really does imitate reality.) They both came out of their shells this year and put on a show! (Maybe because they were so comfortable with their roles!) I was really surprised and very entertained by both of them! It was great to see them so comfortable on stage.

The play began with the Bethel kids Christmas Caroling in Echo.

There's the Echo Country store and Hughes Homecenter behind them. Katrina did a great job with the scenes and there's Jamies caution light above Samantha's head.

As you can tell by the look on Brandon's face the kids don't know what Christmas is really about.

Suddenly a storm blows in...

... and they end up in Bethlehem on the same day the Jesus is to be born.

First they meet some shepherds in the field who tell them the great news of the coming King.

Next they encounter some very mean and tough soldiers who tell them to get out of town.

Outside of town they stumble upon A Holy Night.

And discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Finally they end back where they began, in Echo, singing songs about Jesus, instead of Jingle Bells, announcing that a Savior has been BORN!

Afterwards in the fellowship room Jessica and Samantha told Santa and Si what they wanted for Christmas.

The kids got a kick out of Matt dressing up as Si dressed as an elf.
(Got that? I'm confused.)

Can't wait till next year!

Friday, November 9, 2012

Eleven, Eleven!

G.W. Long had a fantastic Veterans' Day Program this year and I was lucky enough to be there.

Samantha's class performed Eleven, Eleven!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Trunk or Treat

This year's trunk is dedicated to my Jessica. Braces hurt for awhile but it will all be worth it!

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Why God Continues to Meddle in Our Lives,
C.S. Lewis explains:

"I find a good many people have been bothered by…our Lord’s words, “Be ye perfect.” Some people seem to think this means “Unless you are perfect, I will not help you;” and as we cannot be perfect, then, if He meant that, our position is hopeless. But I do not think He did mean that. I think He meant “The only help I will give is help to become perfect. You may want something less: but I will give you nothing less.”

Let me explain. When I was a child I often had a toothache, and I knew that if I went to my mother she would give me something which would deaden the pain for that night and let me get to sleep. But I did not go to my mother at least, not till the pain became very bad. And the reason I did not go was this. I did not doubt she would give me the aspirin; but I knew she would also do something else. I knew she would take me to the dentist next morning. I could not get what I wanted out of her without getting something more, which I did not want. I wanted immediate relief from pain: but I could not get it without having my teeth set permanently right. And I knew those dentists: I knew they started fiddling about with all sorts of other teeth which had not yet begun to ache. They would not let sleeping dogs lie, if you gave them an inch they took an ell.
Now, if I may put it that way, Our Lord is like the dentists. If you give Him an inch, He will take an ell. Dozens of people go to Him to be cured of some one particular sin which they are ashamed of or which is obviously spoiling daily life. Well, He will cure it all right: but He will not stop there. That may be all you asked; but if once you call Him in, He will give you the full treatment. God wants to cure us of all our sins, the ones we know about and the ones we don’t. He wants to make us like Jesus, and nothing less will satisfy him."