Family Service Project

For several months, I'd been feeling God calling me and the family to help/serve the poor and needy.  When I do my quiet time in the morning, I read a chapter from Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month.  Over and over again, I could feel God speaking to me about what he wanted us to do.  I'd mentioned it before but never really acted on it until I began feeling disobedient.  I did not like that feeling at all, so I talk to B and we decided Christmas Eve would be the best day.  I went shopping for the food on the 23rd with the kids and they were great helpers.  We bought chips and rice crispy treats, which we normally do not buy, but the kids were understanding that the 'good snacks' weren't for us to eat.  We were going to make lunches for needy/homeless/poor people that stood on the side of the road and asked for help.

I did my math right for all the pieces except the bread.  I bought enough to make 40 sandwiches but I just assumed that a serving of bread was 2 slices....yeah, it's only 1 slice.  So B ran to the store for 2 more loaves of bread.  We made 40 lunches that consisted of a ham or turkey sandwich, bottle of water, chips, and rice crispy treat.  The kids decorated the paper bags with Christmas stickers and we put them into two big boxes. 

assembling the sandwiches

enjoying a left Cheetos

We handed out the lunches that afternoon while E took a nap.  Aunt Mo and Gran stayed with E while the rest of us drove around passing out the bags.  I sat in the back with Avery and we passed the bags to the kids sitting in the middle.  B and Papaw were in the very front.  I think the most excited ones were the men that wait at Home Depot for daily jobs.  We drove up and Kinsey rolled the window down.  As soon as we slowed to a stop, they were at the window reaching inside for a lunch.  Of course the kids enjoyed the experience, but I was at peace about the whole thing.  I think waiting til Christmas Eve was the perfect time to introduce a service project to our children.  It was very easy to direct the conversation to the reason for Jesus and the service project he did for us when he died for our sins.  We talked about why Christmas isn't about getting presents and gifts, but about giving to others.  Maybe if we would've heard the song about Christmas shoes, that might have only made the afternoon better, but it was a great afternoon. 

 

Proverbs 14:31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

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Thanksgiving 2014

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Our Thanksgiving break was fantastic.  B got off a little early on Tuesday so we drove to MS Tuesday night.  I think we arrived at 1:00 am and transitioned the kids over quite easily.  Wednesday morning we had breakfast and just played around the house while my mom went to pick up Uncle Bubba from AL.  He had off from work, so it was great to spend some time with him.  Our first agenda item was to visit the Hubbles over near Timberton.  Mr. and Mrs. Hubble had recently moved to MS from IL and they were living not far from Sue and Dr. B.  I'm not sure if they remembered us, but old people always like to see little kids.  We visited with them for a while and Uncle B and AC came too.  The kids colored pictures for Mr. & Mrs. Hubble and I think that made their day. 

After that visit, we had lunch at Raisin' Canes (my fav).  My mom had some sort of coupon thing so our food was cheap and good!  Our big plans for Wednesday was to see Big Hero 6.  AC babysat E since she doesn't do well with movies right now, but it was her nap time anyways.  The movie was great and I think it's one we will want to own some day.  The kids loved it too and R even cried a bit.  I looked over once or twice and saw Uncle B snoozing.  Spaghetti was our dinner that night followed by Charlotte's Web.  I had been reading the book to the boys everyday and since we finished, we wanted to watch the movie together.  I had forgotten how good a story it is about friendship. 

the kid table

R set the tables

 Thanksgiving morning we watched the parade and cooked food.  After eating we watched football, napped, took a family walk, watched more football and ate again.  Pretty much the best Thanksgiving holiday ever!  We got to skype with the Gillams, our normal Thanksgiving buddies, and it made my heart happy to see them.  I think we've celebrated Thanksgiving with their family since Lexi and Abe were born....so 5 years.  Great friends and we love them.
Cherry headed South Friday morning to take Uncle B back to Alabama.  We wanted to see where he worked and he wanted to show the kids off to his co-workers.

 He's a manager of a restaurant in a family entertainment complex.  There's bowling, laser tag, an arcade, and the restaurant.  We enjoyed ourselves and the kids' favorite part was the laser tag.  The whole 3 hours was fun and it made me miss my brother a lot. 

The kids napped in the car while we drove to Pass Christian to Nana and Tata's house.  We got there just before 4:00 pm and the plans were to pick up GLupe and go out to dinner.  GLupe wanted Cracker Barrel and what GLupe wants, GLupe gets.  Our meal was very yummy, but we were very cold.  I was surprised how cook it was in MS and we sat near the entry way.  After dinner and baths, we watched Frosty on TV before putting the kids (and ourselves) to bed.
We spend Saturday just hanging out together.  My dad needed a few things from Walmart so we went with him and saw Auntie Linda while we were there.  We picked up GLupe for lunch at a seafood place and then spent the afternoon at a playground close to their house.  The weather was a bit warmer on Saturday, and the kids enjoyed being outside for a while. We ate an oven pizza for dinner and banana pudding from Auntie Linda for dessert.  Off to bed for everyone, but not a lot of sleep for some of us :(
E had developed a cough and around 11:00, we heard her coughing so B went in to make sure she was okay.  She started to gag so we took her to the bathroom and sure enough, she puked twice.  Ugh!  We didn't know if it was a stomach bug or just mucus and drainage in her throat.  So we moved her pack-n-play closer to our room so we could keep an eye on her.  She wouldn't lay down without crying so I ended up holding her until she fell asleep.  She slept fine until around 3:00 and then she coughed again, but not vomit this time.  This episode changed our plans for Sunday.  Originally we planned to go church before hitting the road, but with E's sickness, we knew it would be better to just drive.  We left their house at 8:30 and got home at 3:40.  Uncle Ren had been house/dog sitting for us and he was still there, so we ate dinner with him and watched football.  I think everyone was tired that night, but we were thankful for MANY things from this Thanksgiving holiday, but probably most thankful that E didn't puke again in the car. 

Conroe Trip

C/J are in town for a short break and we had a chance to spend some time with them in Conroe, TX.  They were renting a house for a month from someone in their church, so we packed our clan up and stayed with them one night.  We decided to spend the night with them the Saturday before Asher was being baptized at The Woodsedge Church. 

After working out at the YMCA, we drove an hour to their house just in time for E's nap.  We skipped lunch because we had a ridiculously breakfast with Nana and Tata at IHOP.  While E slept, I went to H.E.B with Jaime and the dads watched the other kids.  OU football was on TV and they were winning big so both B and C were in good moods.  When we got back from the grocery store, J and I made snacks and we all ate a bit.  The weather was rainy so we couldn't really go outside and play, but the kids kept themselves busy with toys inside.

A little while later into Saturday afternoon, J's brother and his family stopped by for a visit.  They were on their way to the Bashaw house, to catch a flight early the next morning for CA.  The only other time I'd been around them was when C/J got married.  They were nice and their 3 boys played with the rest of the kids.  They did not stay for dinner, so after they left, we had pizza delivered from Dominoes (our fav).  The rest of the evening consisted of dinner, play, smore's, baths, and bed for the kids.  C/J/B and I had really good conversation about a lot of different topics after the kids went to bed.  I enjoyed our time together a lot. 

Sunday morning J made breakfast for us all and we relaxed before heading out to church.  We followed them to their church and all sat together ready to watch Asher's dedication.  After the service, all of us (Hantla fam and the Bashaws plus friends) went out to eat before heading back to Houston.  It was a nice lunch, and the kids slept on the way home. 

 B and I were thankful we had some time with C/J and their kids.  They leave Jan 7, so our time is coming to a close and we will miss them greatly.  C/J have such a heart for helping change the culture over there and we leave inspired after any time spent with them. 

Matthew 28:18-20 ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Our Surprise Visitors

Uncle Ren will come over to our house for dinner and football games a couple of times a month.  He came over for my birthday to hang out with us and then Friday, sent me a text saying he thought he left his wallet at our house.  I looked for it but didn't see it, so he said he would come over to look for it.  It was no big deal so we told him that when we got home from the store, we would let him know.  On our way home from Wal-Mart, we offered to pick him up but he declined so we just went on home and I started to cook dinner.  After a short while, there was a knock on the door and R went to let Uncle Ren in, but it wasn't Uncle Ren after all.  It was Nana & Tata!  SURPRISE :)

They had driven to TX to surprise visit all the kids (Ben, Lorenzo and us).  It was Friday night so they had spent the day with Lorenzo and now were with us at 7:00 pm.  If we had known, we would have rushed our shopping trip or skipped it all together, but we didn't know.  It was a fun surprise.  The kids were so excited.  We ate our oven pizza and talked at the table for a while.  We put the kids in bed a little later so they could have some time, and then the 4 of us adults talked til almost midnight. 

They had to drive back to MS Saturday to return their rental car and prepare for their church services on Sunday.  We met them at IHOP early Saturday morning before their trip back.  Uncle Ren met us there too and we had a great family breakfast.  It was a super quick trip, but a great surprise and a lot of fun. 

Losing Teeth

Rin is losing her teeth like crazy.  The first one came out in May, but since then, she's lost 3 more in a matter of weeks.  She's missing both her top two teeth and we are calling her snaggle-tooth.  While we were bowling at Uncle Bubba's place, B took this picture of her with a split. 

I can't remember if this was my split or B's but we thought it was funny since R's missing so many teeth. 

Football Weekend & Halloween 2014

Our yearly tradition didn't stop just because we moved to a different state....NOPE! 

On the plane leaving Houston

In Raleigh about to head to Charlotte

B and I flew to NC for a weekend to catch a football game with J/K and visit friends quickly.  This whole conversation started when B told me that he would be at a conference in Nashville the weekend we were supposed to drive to NOLA to watch the Saints play the Panters in the Dome.  I, of course, was bummed, but I tried to be understanding.  Coming to the realization that we would not make a game, was very sad for us.  B came home one day and said "we should just go to Carolina for the game.  It's on Thursday and I have Friday's off, it can work out" so I looked for tickets and found some.  We asked J/K and they were on board so we made it happen.  We didn't tell a lot of people at first, but then we started sharing our news. I knew it would be a quick trip, so how could we see as many people as we wanted without being in the car the entire time...???  Kristen O'Janpa to the rescue.  More about that in a minute.
Thursday we left Houston at 9:30 and landed at RDU at 1:00.  K picked us up and we went to Wild Wing Cafe for lunch.  Oh it was so good!  We waited for Jen to get home from work and then we headed to Charlotte.  We checked into the hotel and then caught the train into town for the game.  The game was great and we won (Sorry K).  It got chilly so the boys bought us hot chocolate to help keep us warm.  So much fun!

Catching the train before the game

We stayed the night at the hotel and ate in the continental breakfast before leaving back to Raleigh.  J let us have her car for the weekend so our next stop was Wake Forest Middle School.  I'd been communicating with Kline so he was expecting us.  He was on planning so we chatted with him for a while before seeing Linda and Chris and a few other people.  I wish I had had more time, but it was Friday afternoon on Halloween so I knew people wanted to get home.  At 3:30 we went to Sheree's house and ate with she and Ahmad.  I think we were there for a little more than an hour before heading to the Caldwells for trick or treating.  My favorite Halloween memories are from the Caldwell house and I was very happy to be back.  I missed my kids though and wished they could have been back with us to see their friends. I was so grateful that Nicole opened her home for us and there was food and fun.  The O'Janpa family came as did some of N's family.  In ways, I feel like N's sister is my sister and her mom was my second-mom.  We've been great friends with the Caldwells for so long.  We just love their family.  That night was great and I sat with N on the sofa til 1 in the morning just talking.  Boy, have I missed NC. 
Saturday started with a great home-cooked breakfast by K and game day on the TV.

My god-daughters

Our plans were to hang out with them for a short while before heading over to K/V's house for the open house.  K/V were gracious enough to open their home for us and let our friends come over and visit.  She came to our rescue because we couldn't figure out how to see all the people we wanted to see without driving all over town.  Her invitation said 11:00 so we got there early to hang with just the O'Janpa family.  B and V made a quick run to Home Depot while I visited with K and Bella.  We had a great time at their house and saw lots of friends:  C. Buck, Linda, the Kline's, the Boas family, small group families, and Lauria.

The Kline's

The Boas's

K had a great spread set out and I think small group people all brought a little something to help.  We just grazed on the snack food all day long.  Our original plan was to leave at 4:30 to be back at K/J for a fish fry but it was more like 5:30 before we left.  I didn't want to leave because I love K's house.  There have been so many play-dates, workout sessions, and dinners with V/K.  Next time we come to visit, I think we will stay at least 1 night with the O'Janpas.  We had snacked all day, but not enough to be full because K was frying fish and wings for us.  J and I made fried pickles and it was a normal Hantla-Gillam sleepover minus the 4 Hantla kids.  We watched football, ate food, and the wives fell asleep on the sofa while the husbands watched a movie.  I don't exactly remember the time, but I think I went to bed around 1:00 am.  B & K were still watching a movie.  I think the only thing that could have made our weekend any better, was having our kids.  Don't get me wrong, it was better for us for the football game sake, but the other visiting and stuff, our kids would have loved seeing their friends.  And everyone asked how the kids were doing so we would talk about our kids and that made me miss them even more. 

Tinkerbell, Mikey, Donny, and Alphaba

We flew home early

On our flight home

Sunday and P/V and the kids picked us up from the airport.  We were so excited to see them!  P/V were nice enough to fly down to take care of our kids while we went away for the weekend.  They took the kids to Katy, TX for Halloween and trick-or-treating

with their cousins and played with them the rest of the time while we were gone.

P/V are such a blessing to our family to allow us the chance to fly to NC.  We are so thankful and grateful for them.

Me and my boys