It Just Occurred to Me

I was thinking about how it will be time for me to print my blog2print book in a few days when it occurred to me that I won't be able to print the video of pictures.  Hello!  There is no way I could print a book about our year and not have pictures of the most incredible day.  So hang with me for one more post about the Guaranteed White Christmas event as I post some of my favorite pictures for saving.

That Video I Promised You

Christmas Sunday Snapshot- The Pictures You Won't See In The Video

If you follow this blog, you were probably expecting Guaranteed White Christmas party pictures in this post and truthfully that is what I expected to post here.  So this afternoon I started going through them and narrowed down thousands to about 781 favorites.  I don't have that kind of memory on this blog so I am going to have to get to make a video.  That will be coming very soon.  In the meantime, here is what we were doing behind the scenes.

We wrapped up our outside play and set up for the event time

Jack did one last interview for a local new station

Then we got dressed and headed to church.  This is Ruthie with her friend Iris.  Iris' grandmother is from Chongqing like Ruthie.

After church we went to dinner with family and then headed back home to get ready for the very early morning.

Jack woke up first and waited in his room until he just couldn't stand it any longer

Sam was a little slow to wake up but soon realized it was good choice.

Ruthie, however,  took the longest to figure out what was going on

We got through our family presents upstairs

Then headed down to see what Santa brought.  By then it was about 6:30 am and the Weather Channel crew was coming in for coffee and a warm up from the very cold wind outside

 The festivities to follow (Guaranteed White Christmas celebration) will be more than represented in a future video.  Finally, after it was all said and done, we still made time to have a birthday cookie for Jesus.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. 

They're Here and We are Having Fun Already

The Weather Channel is here and setting up for the big day tomorrow.  They are transforming my cul-de-sac into a Winter Wonderland.  The producer gave Jack a coat from Jim Cantore and an autographed picture from Stephanie Abrams.  He is still grinning from ear to ear.

Beyond Our Hopes and Dreams

I was listening to the radio on the way to work yesterday and they played a short segment on the family.  The minister told a story about how he and his wife made a list of all their hopes and dreams early on in their marriage and then gave that list over to Christ as a symbol that their life was in His hands.  Decades later they looked at that list again and were amazed at how a life turned over to Christ yielded much more than they could have ever hoped for or dreamed of.

I so get that!  If you would have asked me last year what I hoped for 2010, I would have NEVER thought of the things that God has given us.  I would have asked for things like a slow down in Jack's condition, but wouldn't have imagined a new diagnosis with available treatment.  I would have hoped to use my PT skills for ministry opportunities but couldn't have imagined a life changing trip to Haiti.  I would have loved some time to practice photography more but would have never fathomed a photography business and ministry.  Oh and this Weather Channel blessing- obviously would have never thought of that one either.

So yes I loved what that minister had to say because I agree that a life in God's hands is much more fulfilling than one we could have created on our own.

Some Early Christmasing

One of the advantages of having a mom who is graduating the week before Christmas is that family comes in town who let you open some early Christmas presents.

So I have to tell you about this next group of pictures.  My sister-in-law, Kelley, is a total hoot.  She gave Ruthie a princess dress that Ruthie would not wear so Kelley tried to motivate her by wearing it herself.

She is a nut which is one of the reasons I love her so much.  Lucky for The Weather Channel, she is coming back next weekend for all the festivities.  I bet she will be the one who starts the singing or the snow ball fight.  She is just that much fun.

When Kelley's idea didn't work, my niece put another one on and that did the trick.  Ruthie wanted to do whatever cousin Madeline was doing.

I love this last photo.  This is my brother Mark with Sam (Samuel Mark) playing Wii Rockband.  Of all my relatives, Sam reminds me of Mark the most.

Checked That One Off

It is final.  I finally graduated with my DPT yesterday.

Now before you make the mistake of thinking that I am really smart, you should know that I took my sweet time with this and went the mother of 3 children route.  Just to answer a few questions that I have been asked frequently over the last few days:
1. Does this change your job?  No.  I will still be a part-time clinical sports medicine PT.  I have no desire to work full time, move into management, or anything like that.  I went for the clinical doctorate instead of the PhD because my desire is still to treat patients.

2.  So why get your DPT? Because I feel passionately called to serve others through physical therapy and this felt like something I needed to do in order to best live out that calling in my life.  Through this program, I learned a lot about the profession and treating patients that I would not have learned in the clinic alone.

So there.  It is done.  Now I can get back to the things that I enjoy most like spending time with family.

Sunday Snapshot- Our Trip to KPRC

After we won the White Christmas from the Weather Channel, KPRC invited Jack to come participate in the weather forecast (link in the previous post). Of course this mom had to take her camera along.

Here he is with the anchor Dominique Sachse.  She called him "Weather Jack" and he thought that was so cool.

Getting his microphone on

My boy at the anchor desk

A sick Sam with his dad at the sports desk

Jack with the meteorologist Frank Billingsley.  He was so good with Jack and very kind.

This has been an experience we will never forget and we are still one week from Christmas and the actual event.