What's Up?

Ella..right after she realized she was now 5 1/2....

Ella and Madison.. after getting into the makeup

Dance party at Amber's...in pic: Amber, Audrey, Ella, Madison, and Christi..let it be known that was not me!

It has been forever it seems since I have posted on my blog. I look at it and others often, but just haven't had the chance to sit down and do anything..so today I am. Not much has been going on at the Bourne house. We are back into full swing with school. Ella is trying to learn her numbers and write them up to 100, which has seemed to be a challenge for her. (No surprise, though, she doesn't have genetics on her side--at least, not from her parents--when it comes to Math). Not a subject Rob or I enjoy. Austin is doing well. Baseball will start soon...so our weekends will soon be filled with tournaments and practices. But, it gives us all something to do, so we seem to enjoy it. The past two weekends, we have had the opportunity to visit with Amber, Grant, Madison and Audrey. Ella has been in hog heaven playing with girls.. Most days, you can find her out back with Austin playing Army. Monday, on their day off, she came in crying, because Austin was going to make her carry a gun, or she couldn't play with him. She said that would be too heavy to carry...so they compromised, and he allowed her to carry a stick gun. Which believe me he didn't like, but tolerated! Anyways...Ella and I went to Mandeville one weekend, with my dear friend, Christi. Then, last weekend The Pittman family came here so Amber and I could go out and celebrate Christi's b/d. And, this weekend, we are going back to Mandeville for Madison's b/d. One other exciting thing that has happened..is on Jan 19, ELLA TURNED 5 1/2. She is so anxious to "catch up" with Madison, which she never will..Madison will always be older..But, she asked me Monday night, when she would be 5 1/2..something she has asked alot lately..and I realized that indeed, she was on that day 5 1/2. She was so excited. Pumping her fists..like "WOO_HOO" she had finally made it. This week she seems taller..she can now wear different things, that on Sunday were too big, but now she fits in, etc. So all in all it has been a good week.

One side note... I got a call from school yesterday about Austin. His teacher said he felt his heart racing and dizzy, nervous, etc. and he had a low grade temp. This has occured a couple of other times over the last couple of weeks..so I took him to see the pediatrician. His heart rate had slowed down, of course, by the time he saw him, but he ran a few other tests.. one of which is a tsh (thyroid blood test), because some of his symptoms were consistent with a thyroid problem. We are waiting on those results..hopefully today. So, if you have a chance to say a prayer for him, please do. I am hopeful that everything will be okay. But, it does cause some concern.

Happy New Year...!!! (a little late)

abbey,emily, amber....

abbey and rob

reagan, austin, barry...playing playstation!!

austin and ella about to see what santa brought!

leaving cookies for santa...almost bedtime..they look tired, don't they?


Hope everyone is having a great start to the new year.. can't believe it is 2009. My how time flies...I remember all the hype before the year 2000. We are all doing fine.. just trying to get back into the swing of things..school started back Monday. We are all trying to remember how to wake up at 5:30 in the morning, and still be nice people. Luckily, when 8 pm rolls around, though, there aren't too many complaints about getting to bed. I have many many more pictures to post.. but just not the time for it right now. Will post again soon. Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas from the Bourne's

My Family..these were forced smiles..as they were about to all go shopping with me!!!YIPPEE!!

This is how we do yard work...work really hard to make a pile then see who can mess it up the fastest.

Running and jumping in the leaves...

I am sure the next couple of days will be a little bit hurried and crazy..so I wanted to go ahead and say Merry Christmas, to all of my friends and family. The Bourne house is quite a bustle right now. Ella and Austin are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa. They have their moments, but for the most part have been really good. Ella and I have been a bit under the weather with a cough and cold..so we have been trying to rest. Yesterday Austin and Ella didn't even get out of their pajamas, and stayed in bed all day watching HOME VIDEOS. They love watching them. The shopping is done, so I am hoping tomorrow we can sit back and enjoy the day. Christmas day we will open gifts and then go to Columbia for a few days to spend time with family.

I am posting a few pictures of the last few days or so.. We got a new camera so I am trying to figure it out.

I wish everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Snow Day Play

Austin and Ella finally got home about 11 today to play in the snow.. It was WET AND COLD! Obviously! But, that didn't stop them from getting out for a while and playing in it. Ella had gone out at school too, and even had to change her clothes because she was running in it and fell and got all wet. She was all smiles, though! It was still snowing heavily when I picked them up, and for about 2 hours after we got home. They were so excited.. I was too! We attempted to build a snowman, but it didn't really work out too well. It was so wet. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

White Christmas..well almost!!

view from our backyard

Our house

view down the street

It is snowing!!! Snow is falling in Brandon now. The kids are at SCHOOL still...and I am home alone trying to enjoy this by MYSELF! I don't know if they will let them out or not, but the conditions are beginning to get worse around here. But, it sure is beautiful!

A Look Back

Junior Cooper Shelf aka " the elf on the shelf " or as Ella calls him "SHELF"

Ella putting the finishing touches on our tree!

Austin and his 8 point BUCK!!!!

Ella on Thanksgiving Day.

All the McCraw grandchildren...back row: (l to r) Stella, Tina, Emily, Heather..front (l to r) Abbey, Tye, Amber...this is going to be a Christmas present to my Granny (all of her grandchildren)

Abbey, Emily, Amber...taking pictures in front of my granny's old house.

It has been a while since I have posted, so I wanted to recap a few things we have done over the past couple of weeks. We went home to Columbia for Thanksgiving, and had a really good time. We spent Thanksgiving lunch with my Granny and my dad's side of the family. And, afterwards went to Rob's sister's Damea, for lunch/supper again. We ATE alot that day! Austin was so excited because he got to spend the night with Damea's 4 boys, which we didn't plan, so it was a great surprise for him. He had so much fun, and had LOTS of FUN stories to tell the next day.

I am not sure that they slept a whole lot, but that didn't matter, because he had a blast.

Before we ate lunch at my Granny's, all the grandchildren met up at her old house in Foxworth and took a picture together. I don't know if we even have a single picture, other than this one, of all of us together. It will be a gift to my granny on Christmas.. which I think she will really enjoy.

Austin went hunting with Rob on Saturday night, I think, and shot a 8 point buck. They came home from hunting and knew that they had shot something, but it was not a very good shot, or something like that, so they had to wait to go back and look for it. Rob said it was a big doe.. but when the deer was found, it was a buck. He called and told me to get the camera ready, but wouldn't tell us what it was..so when Austin saw it he was extremely excited. This makes his 3rd buck..he has shot a 4 point, 7 point, and now an 8 point. It made his weekend.

When we got back home, I started pulling out the decorations. We get a real tree, which may change after this year.. because ugh..they are a mess..but Austin, Ella, and I decorated the tree and put up the other decorations.. things really look like Christmas around here. The kids are getting excited...On Saturday they awoke to find that the elf on the shelf had come to visit us. Ella was sooo excited. She had told me about this because her teacher had told them. A Special Elf comes from the North Pole, and spends the day with them, and then at night goes back to the North Pole to report to Santa about their behavior, etc. They decided to name him Junior..then Ella added the name Cooper, but she calls him SHELF, in lieu of ELF. So his given name has become Junior Cooper Shelf. And, they have enjoyed looking around and finding him the past few mornings.

We have been a little busy..but at church sunday morning, Chip, the preacher, was talking about just that..the holidays getting too busy and losing the real meaning of the season. I hope this year that I can be reminded daily that it isn't about the toys, and the food, and all of the hustle and bustle that goes along with Christmas, but that the true meaning is of Jesus, and his birth.

I read a great book to Ella last night, about the Crippled Lamb. It has such a wonderful message of being where God wants you, and it may not really be where you want to be, but God has a special purpose for each of us. The lamb was crippled, and because he couldn't go where the other lambs had gone, he was in the stable where Jesus was born, and was one of the first to welcome Jesus. He realized that God's purpose for him was to be there, and witness Jesus' birth. So sweet. Ella said when I closed the book.. "I really like that book." That is what Christmas is all about.

James 1:17..."Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18....Be joyful always; Pray Continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. Alot of us, may say Christmas, and I love Christmas too. But, thanksgiving is somewhat of a laid back holiday where we can just stop and reflect on how thankful we are. Last year at this very time, there was a lot of concern, questions, in my mind about moving and Rob starting a new job. I was experiencing doubt, fear...I felt conflicted. I am thankful to say this year that God took control of that situation, and I am very happy about that move. We have such great friends here. Some old, who have been our friends forever, and some that we are now forming greater friendships with. All of that I have to be thankful for. Ella and Austin are adjusting so well here. They both are enjoying their new school, and making new friends.

Thanksgiving for me is also a time to reflect on those we miss, those no longer with us. I am reminded that even though we no longer see them, they are still present in our lives. This picture above is a picture of my Christmas Cactuses, that were given to me by my mammaw. She is no longer with us, but every year around this time, I can catch a glimpse of her when I see my cactuses bloom. Her birthday is in November, and without fail they always bloom in November. It always brings tears to my eyes.. because I remember the day she gave them to me.. and how she explained the care for them. I know that her hands touched the very plants that I see blooming, now.

It is also a time to cherish the family and friends that we do have. Family events and meals are so much fun, just to be around those that we don't always have time to be around. Our families continue to grow and it gets harder and harder for everyone to get together, but when the effort is made, it always seems worthwhile.

It is so easy to take for granted the things that we do have, that somebody else would be so happy for. I try to be grateful for all of those things.. and to express to Austin and Ella how thankful we should be for them. We are not promised any of this, and tomorrow it could all be gone. But the one thing I know of that is forever and never changing is my salvation... I know that no matter what I am going through on this earth, that I have a God that loves me and protects me and that I can call to no matter what. Even the days that I don't feel so thankful, I have a God whose love is never changing.

To all of those who are apart of my life, the old friends, the not so new ones, the new ones, my family, those that we don't see as much, and those we will only see in heaven, I am so thankful for them, each and every one. And, just like the Christmas Cactus, that brings a reminder each year of my grandmother, may this Thanksgiving be a reminder to all of us of what we do have to be thankful for.

Psalm 118:28-29...You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever.