Christmas Day 8

Christmas Program 1998 at Life Center Christian Center in Lakewood, CA. Chase played the role of "Joseph." Chase was 7 1/2 years old. Don't you just love the creativity of the costume? Notice his cast on his arm under the sleeve. A few weeks prior he was playing football with his Dad in his Grandma Smith's backyard on Thanksgiving afternoon. He fell on his arm trying to catch a pass.

Christmas Day 7

Christmas 1993....Landon's first Christmas and almost 1 years old. Chase is two 1/2 years old and Kaylee is almost 4. It was Christmas Eve @ PaPa and Grandma Smith's house...Their Uncle Todd had wrapped their presents with their names big and bold on them. If you look closely at Landon's face he is just getting over the chicken pox. What a little trooper. Notice Kaylee's red nail polish? Too cute! Chase is showing his relaxed side with his shoes off and all...

Happy 12th Birthday Brenna!

Brenna helping me to bake 4th of July cupcakes... She has had a lot of practice with baking by helping her Mom in the kitchen. Brenna wanted to decorate the cupcakes just right... Then it was time for Brenna to taste her cupcakes...Notice that Beth was taste testing them too! Hi Brenna...I wanted to wish you a Happy 12th Birthday! I can't believe you are twelve already! You are a sweety and you are very special to me! I love the gentle spirit Jesus has blessed you with. Love, Aunt Shelley

Christmas Day 6

My sister Laura and I on Christmas morning in 1974. In the picture Laura is 4 and I am 9.(35 years ago YiKes!) Notice we have matching night gowns? I am sure that's the present my mom had us open up on Christmas Eve. It has been so much fun looking for photos of different Christmas memories.

Christmas Day 5

Landon's Christmas program for Kindergarten in 1998. That's him in the middle standing with a smile and a black top hat. Gotta love how kids have their own unique personalities! Notice how each kid is kind of doing it their own way. Some looking at the next person, some singing by heart, some looking at the words on their folder, some hiding their face with their folder. I think as adults we are actually still like children. Especially in the Lord's eyes anyways. He watches us try to do things on our own and longs for us to ask Him for help. Ask Him for strength. Ask Him for wisdom. We are in this program called life. Each day is like a rehearsal. I want to be ready for the "Performance" when he says, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Christmas Day 4

Oh my goodness, I think I am the age in this picture that my son Landon is now: 16! Larry is 18 the age Chase is now. We were just kids! I never thought time would go by so fast...Christmas seems like it arrives faster and faster every year. Back then we had no worries in the world and all the time in the world. Wish we would have realized that then!

Christmas Day 3

My First Christmas in 1965! First rocking chair(a gift from my Grandma Betty). Check out that Fisher Price telephone on the end-table! How about the silver tinsel? Too funny to find old photos and see what is in the back ground setting of the picture. Looking back over my 44 years so far, I have had a lot of firsts. So glad God allows us to have seconds and third do-overs sometimes. God is the creator of Firsts! First day of a new job; first day being a mom; first day being a wife; first day being a friend; first time helping a friend go thru a really hard time; first time losing a pet; first time moving away etc. I pray that I will always remember to love others because God first loved us.

Christmas Day 2

December 1998: Kaylee, Chase and Landon really loved this time of year when they were little! They loved the Christmas lights, helping Grandma decorate for Christmas,and planning their "Cuzins of Faith" performance for Christmmas Eve. In this picture Kaylee is 8 almost 9! Chase is 7 and Landon is 5! They are now almost 20, 18 and almost 17! The time has gone by so fast! I love seeing Christmas thru the eyes of a child!

25 days of Christmas Day 1

Thought it would be fun to try to blog 25 days in a row building up to Christmas Day! So here it goes! We celebrated our first Christmas as parents in December of 1991. Chase was eight months old. We were for sure more excited about his first Christmas than he was! Larry wanted Chase to have his first Tonka Truck. He said, "every boy should have Tonka Trucks to play with." Who would have thought you could spend so much time in a Toys R Us store trying to pick out the perfect gift? That's how Jesus sees us...as his children. He wanted to give us the perfect gift of his son Jesus. Something that would never wear out or brake or get lost. I am so glad for the gift of baby Jesus. HE is the perfect gift no matter what age we are.