"I am so sorry you do not like cheese!"

Yesterday was one of those CRAZY "MOM" days. A day FULL of laundry, cleaning and organizing. When school let out, the REAL craziness began. -Pick Ammon up from school - Take Ammon to Piano - Pick Caleb up from school - Pick up Ammon from Piano - Make sure homework is done - Make sure piano gets practiced by each child - Make dinner (have picnic on family room floor because the kitchen table is piled with clean folded laundry) - Put laundry away(so we can use the table for breakfast in the morning) - Call on car we want to buy (another story in itself) - Make sure Fred gets medicine (he's sick and won't take ibuprofen unless I give it to him. I've heard it's a guy thing.) - Pick up Haleigh from Wizard of Oz dress rehearsal - Pick up takes longer than expected and we are going to be LATE for Haleigh's Piano Performance Class! THIS IS WHERE MY STORY BEGINS.

I call home to see if Fred can meet us at Haleigh's piano class to bring her music book. By this time of day I had been functioning in "task" mode and was not in the mood for "fun" or jokes. When the voice on the other end of the phone answers in a heavy Arabic accent "Papa Johns Pizza, may I please take your order." Instantly I recognized the voice as my HILARIOUS 12 year old son's. I was not amused, "Caleb, get your dad. I need to talk to him." Caleb, sounding like Habib from Arabia "Would you like cheese on that, Mam?" I'm getting frustrated, "Caleb, I don't have time for this." Not missing a beat Caleb says, still in "Habib" character, "I am so sorry you do not like cheese!" With that he was gone to get Fred on the phone.

The humor of my son did not hit me until today. What made me a bit frustrated yesterday is making me LAUGH MY HEAD OFF today!! THANK YOU Caleb, you crazy, CRAZY boy!

LOVE is Spoken Here!

Our focus for February is LOVE and the words we speak.
The three most important things we say to each other, in our family, are
"I love YOU!",
"I'm Sorry" & "Good Job!"

Out with the Old. In with the New!

It is difficult to believe January 2009 is almost over. My goal for this year is to live life in the NOW! I have learned to appreciate the saying "The present is a gift".
*Stephanie*

Haleigh the Professional Blogger

Haleigh beats me to the punch with publishing posts. Please see her blog for the latest Lewis happenings. Good work Haleigh!

My Favorite Things

My favorite things about Christmas Break

*TIME with family. It's so nice to have down time. No worries about homework, running here and running there.

*GAMES* Playing games like Chutes and Ladders, Scum, and our new favorite Guitar Hero World Tour for the Wii.

*FOOD* Chocolate, Pie, Cake, Chocolate, Cookies, Did I say Chocolate? Hopefully exercise will be a favorite in January.

*MOVIES* These movies have become a Christmas Break tradition. Anne of Green Gables Series, White Christmas, Polar Express.

FUN with Christmas Decorations

Our house in Cumming, Georgia

Picture frames with a message. Peace, Joy, Hope and Love. What this season is all about! "Perserved" ornaments as our dining room centerpeice & what is left of our gingerbread houses.

The tree that fits perfectly to the right of our mantel and can be seen from our front door.

Christmas picture books that we have collected through the years and through our travels. We try to read one each night.

Nutcracker Collection

When I, Steph, was a little girl my Grandma Miller took me to see the Nutcracker ballet on Christmas Eve. I LOVED it!! That same Grandma had a Nutcracker she sat on her coffee table each Christmas. I was fascinated by being able to pull up on the wooden coattails in the back and the mouth would open in the front. Many times I'd stick my finger in the Nutcracker's mouth and shut it to see how much it would hurt to be smashed. I even tried smashing some of my brothers and sisters fingers too.

From these dear childhood memories I have developed a foundness for nutcrackers and began a collection 5 years ago. Fred has bought me one each year for my birthday. He gives it to me early, when I bring out the Christmas decor, so we can enjoy them that season rather than waiting to use it next year.

Here are this year's additions.

A cute little sushi chef. Both Fred and I were missionaries in Japan. We enjoy ALL Japanese food.

An oldfashioned Santa with a bag full of blocks in his left hand and a Christmas Tree in his right. The Nutcracker on the rocking horse in the foreground is one that Ammon and I bought when we attended the Nutcracker Ballet with his kindergarten class in 2006.