Steven Wilkes Wallace

Welcome to Steven Wilkes Wallace 6 lb 10 oz 20 1/2 in. I can't wait to meet you, little Buddy! Love, Aunt Steph

Meet Larry!

I wasn't sure if our elf Larry was a marketing ploy or truly magical. Willie found him under our Christmas tree on Friday with a the whole Elf on a Shelf story. Many families these days have been given an elf to help Santa it seems, and I guess Santa realized Jay and I could use all the help we could get. This idea was simply genius and I just wish I could have helped Santa with such an undoubtedly lucrative creation. Again, I was a bit skeptical; but it turns out Larry really is magical.

On Saturday morning, our early risers slept until 8---magical. Everyday since, they POP out of bed with excitement to go find Larry and make sure he has made it back from the North Pole.

Every day this week has been almost as magical as Christmas morning because of their excitement to find Larry and make sure he has made it back to us safely. This morning I went to wake Willie and announce that I couldn't find Larry. Willie sat straight up and said, "You have to trust in yourself," and he was off to find Larry buried in the fruit bowl.

Ruby is quite the angel except when you need to go somewhere in a certain time frame. Then she's the queen stalling, piddling, dilly dallying (sp?)--whatever you want to call it. Sunday, I had been herding her for a good 5 minutes before I had her headed upstairs in the right direction. I audibly mumbled "I hope Larry didn't hear that little episode." Ruby retorted, "I'm not a little episode."

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Today was our annual breakfast with Santa! While you wait for your turn (no waiting in line!!!) there are many friends to visit with and fun crafts to create!! Enjoy these glimpses of our day. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Spirit

We've really been enjoying our Christmas decorations. Ruby is especially proud of them and shows them off to our visitors. We've got 4 trees if you count the little trees in the kids' room. We only have 3 broken ornaments so far, but I can't not let them handle.. They rearrange ornaments and work the characters in our nativity scene over...they are so excited about Christmas.

We kicked off the week with Lighting of the Green on Campus starring Amy Grant. We're going to hit Jo Dee Messina benefit concert for Harvest Hands www.harvesthandscdc.com on Saturday assuming we survive Breakfast with Santa on Saturday morning. Willie's list for Santa is way too narrow. I'm trying to get him to give poor Santa some flexibility.

Daddy's team beat Mercer tonight down in Macon ---first conference game of season with an awesome win. Jordan hit 8 3's with career high of 31 points. Full story is at http://lipscombsports.com .Willie and I listened in on the computer until he could hold his eyes open no longer. Nothing like that kind of win to raise spirits any time of year, but especially uplifting to go into Christmas with conference wins under your belt. Everything will be all the merrier!

Kindergarten

You've heard that saying that "all there is to know you learned in Kindergarten." Alot of truth to that as Willie has accomplished tying his shoes, reading, coloring in the lines, thoughtfulness and the list goes on. In just a matter of months, so much has come together including 2 lost teeth.

During the Thanksgiving holidays, Willie popped out with "Mama and Daddy (interchangeable with pairings that clearly demonstrates he doesn't understand this jingle) sitting in a tree.....K-I-S-S-I-N-G (slowly making sure he doesn't miss a letter followed by long pause as he tries to remember the next part), first comes love, second comes 'Mary' here comes daddy with with a baby 'cage.'"

Thankfully, we don't learn EVERYTHING in Kindergarten or at least the first semester.

Many Thanks

The month of November felt like a week to me. Willie and Ruby's Halloween art was replaced with Fall and Thanksgiving themes in a matter of a day it seemed. Below are some pictures I managed to capture in the furious pace of our Fall. Despite the pace, my heart is filled with Thanksgiving as I've mentioned before. I've become keenly aware that it's by the grace of God that I've been dealt a more than fair hand. It's by His Grace that God wants to use us to serve those who are hurting. Our Lord has selected a mysterious way to spread his love. That way is me and you. My heart is full with Thanksgiving for that opportunity. My heart is full with joy for those who have served me the love of God and given me opportunity. As I shared with my Daddy this week, I'm so grateful for the heritage that Jay and I have been given. Every day in this house that heritage is being handed down to another generation---not perfectly, of course; but with the purest intention. My prayer as I held Willie and Ruby's hands, smelled their hair, locked eyes and hugged tight today is that they'll recognize the gift early and that their hearts will brim with Thanksgiving for what our Lord has done.

Here's a few pics from our celebrations of life this month!

Friends and Spooks!

We had a huge surprise and blessing when we found out friends from college days were passing through town on their way to lead a family conference in N.C. We volunteered in college with Eddie Willis' youth group. Eddie and Allyson are SO talented and wise that I just try to soak them up. Their family is simply beautiful and they rank at the top with the best behaved kids ever. I felt like Willie kept looking at me and wanting to say..."Mom, you didn't tell me that Selby was going to be beautiful!" We left the next day to travel to Miss and Willie asked when we came through thunderstorms...."Do you think it is raining on Selby's family?" Then, "do you think Selby is there yet?" I have about a 15 year old CD of Eddie's in my changer that Willie just loves. Eddie brought us 3 newer releases you could say so now he makes up 50% of my changer and the kids just sing their praises. It was a special treat when Eddie played LIVE some of his favorite praise songs for us before bedtime.

Just after the Willis' departed, the kids and I quickly took off to Mississippi for a long weekend including grandparents, fall fests, and country trick or treating.

I've never been so outdone I didn't have my camera. I just wasn't expecting the Topeka Tilton Fall Fest (same school my dad attended elementary school....I mean same building and everything) to bring such fun. Willie and Reagan loved the traditional carnival and picking out cheap prizes for all the games, but Willie eyed the mechanical bull on arrival. I actually know a little about bullriding since my brother was a mighty fine bullrider in the Miss HS Rodeo. I convinced Willie to check out the other games; but his determination did not fade. At the end of the carnival, he jumped on that bull and rode well over 8 seconds! However, I did think that operator was about to try to buck him off. We got that straight and all ended well except no photo.

Basically, you can drive 20 miles and maybe only stop at 3 houses when country trick or treating. There's a lady in their community who served up 73 trick or treaters.....Wow! I wonder how many miles were logged coming to her spooky yard. It was like a standstill haunted house. Ruby wasn't so sure at first, but she loves talking about ghosts and witches.....it's a benefit of an older sibling. Reagan was taking it all in and Willie was touching every ghost, witch, spider, skeleton he could find. Oh, and the lady FILLED their buckets with candy. Thanks, Nana and Papa for some serious TREATS.

To wrap up the week, the Bisons SCARED Freed Hardeman in an exhibition game!