Reflecting on 2008

What a year this has been! 2008 has been a very busy year filled with many blessings and great opportunities. It's hard to believe how quickly time passes. Our lives have changed so much in a year. I just wanted to share some things our family has experienced in 2008.
Dean and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary this year. It doesn't seem like it has been that long. It continues to be an awesome journey!
This year brought us a great blessing! Sophia Claire was born on February 6. And I thank God for having his hand on us both that night. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. She just fits right in. We all have enjoyed having a baby around again. We have experienced many "firsts" with Sophie this year.....
Sophies first holidays, her first trips to the beach, and her first snowfall to name a few.
Braeden turned 6 this year- What? I can't believe it. And he is already half way through first grade. He sure has grown up a lot this year and this kind of makes me sad. You know he was the baby. But then when I had the baby Braeden looked so big. He is reading now, playing basketball, doing homework every night and of course he is helping with Sophia. Oh, and he also lost his first tooth, followed by three more!
Connor hit double digits this year. Yes that's another "I can't believe it", Ten years old. Where does the time go? This year has brought lots of memorable times for Connor.....Middle School Madness, baseball games, trips to Water Country, youth camp, and many trips to the beach. One memorable moment that stands out for me was the day Connor was baptized. I was so proud of him! And he was released from his headgear this year!
A week before Sophia was born, my first baby turned 13. Yes, I have a teenager and a 10 month old. Isn't life great! Madison has been such a help this year. She really enjoys helping with the baby. This year Madison has enjoyed hanging out with friends, going to football games, tennis lessons and getting her very own bedroom and bathroom. I am so proud of the beautiful young lady she is turning into.
As the year comes to an end, we can look back and see that our family has been blessed in so many ways. We have so much to be thankful for...most of all our Savior Jesus Christ. You know he is actually why we celebrate this season. I am so thankful that he came to this earth and gave his life for us. God has great plans for us in 2009.
We hope you and your family have a wonderful new year!

Christmas Break

Did I tell ya'll that I am loving my Christmas break. It is nice. There are so many reasons why. Here are just a few.....
staying up late,
sleeping late (when Sophie will let me),
no schedule,
spending time with my kids,
staying in comfy clothes all day,
no papers to grade or lesson plans (ok in a few days),
catching up on things around the house,
Oh, did I mention spending time with my kids.
I am enjoying every minute!

Movie Night

I didn't really plan for a movie night, it just kind of happened. I took Madison to the mall this afternoon to exchange some things and use her Christmas money. While we were there Braeden decided to touch some rock light in the store and burnt his finger. He is not the first of my children to do this! They are just so curious. Got back home and got ready for bed. Connor was off to Gampa's and Madison was watching TV in her room. So it was Braeden, Sophie and me. I just came across Pirates of the Caribbean. So of course that was our movie for the evening. Sophie didn't stay up for the entire show :-)

Highlights From Our Christmas

Yesterday we Rejoiced over the birth of our Savior!
This is how our day went..
2:00 am- Finally got to bed. Everything was still and quiet. Not a child was stirring not even a mouse!

3:30 am- I was awakened by the sounds of little feet on the stairs. The boys were up peeking to see if Santa had come (They later told me they used flashlights...Did they have this planned?)

6:50 am-After a few more hours of sleep...On the monitor I could hear Sophie talking and Braeden singing Jingle Bells to her. It was time to start our day!

We spent the early morning hours watching our kids as they discovered what Santa had left and opening our gifts to them. Dad was the official box opener and 'put together' person. I loved watching all the smiles and excitement. Sophia was joining in on all the fun. She had a blast.

Dean's mom, sister and her family came over for breakfast. We spent some time together. Sophie was still awake at 11:30-She didn't want to miss anything.

We had lunch at Mom and Dad's at 12:30-Oh, it was so good-Thanks Mom! We spent most of the afternoon at my parents house. I love when we all get together. It can get a little loud and crazy but that's alright. Mom made a birthday cake for Jesus. The kids sang Happy Birthday. We exchanged gifts before my brother had to leave.

We made a visit to Granddaddy's around 4:00. Our day was pretty busy!
We ended up back at Mamaw and Gampa's for a little while longer. The boys had to watch "A Christmas Story" again. The day was coming to an end and was full of great memories.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. We had a great one in the Whitehurst household.

Our Visit With Santa

We ventured out to the mall this afternoon. I just had to get the kids picture with Santa. Braeden talked with him a few weeks ago but I didn't have all four kids with me so I couldn't get a picture. We did dinner first, love the Olive Garden. We thought we would try and beat the rush and we did, no wait. When we got to the mall to see Santa the line was not too long. This was good. We waited about 10 minutes...here is part of my conversation with Madison as we were waiting...

Madison: "This isn't right, why do I have to sit on Santa's lap?"

Me: "Oh, you don't have to sit on his lap, just stand there for a picture."

Madison: "When am I going to be old enough to get out of this picture thing with Santa?"

Me: "You will probably be 18 and I will still want to get a picture. It's a tradition."

Madison: "Yeah, I will probably be like 20 and you will call me up and say, Madison do you want to go to the mall and get Santa pictures done?"

She's a good sport. Connor even told me he was too old to go see Santa but they both joined in on the fun.

Okay back to the story.....After waiting a few minutes Santa had to go on a break. Believe it or not. He would return in an hour. Well the line was already getting long. We were like the fourth ones. Several people left. My darling husband volunteered to stay and keep our spot. Braeden stayed to keep him company. So off I went to buy a few last gifts. One hour later.....

We got to see Ho Ho. Sophia wasn't really too interested. She looked at him a few times and touched his beard. I wasn't for sure how she would react. I'm glad I got to spend the evening with my family and create some more memories.

We had a good time.

We have been busy this weekend...

Sophie got to visit with cousin Jack today.


Connor AKA "A Wise Man"


The three C's- Connor, Caleb and Cameron

I got Braeden in on this picture. They were ready to get the program started.

Nana and Papa showed up towards the end of our party last night. Here is Nana with me and my sisters.

Mr. and Mrs. Whitehurst

Braeden wanted to get a picture with mommy. He was acting silly :-)

My sweet girls! I think Sophie has had it with the hairbow.

I love this picture!

Five Days until Christmas

Merry Christmas! I can't believe in less than a week Christmas day will have come and gone. I guess just knowing it's the weekend before Christmas makes me all excited. I love spending time with my family during this special season. Everyday Braeden asks me "how many more days until Christmas?" He is so excited. I can remember being a little girl and feeling that same excitement, especially on Christmas Eve. You are so excited you can't go to sleep but you know you have to go to sleep if you want Santa to come. I love those memories. And I am enjoying seeing the excitement and wonder of Christmas in my children.

Some things that I love about Christmas....

*Celebrating my Saviour's Birth. It is so important to remember what Christmas is all about. It's not just about getting gifts. We shouldn't get caught up in the materialistic things of Christmas. We are celebrating JESUS and what a gift that is!

*Christmas parties and plays...I've already been to a few this year. I'm actually going to the Country Club tonight for our church Christmas party. It's great getting together with friends. Then tomorrrow GBW is having our very first cantata (Come join us..Hunterdale School, 10:30 am). It's going to be great!

*Christmas music...I love listening to Christmas music at home, in the car, in the stores.

*A fire in the fireplace....Thanks to our magical gas fireplace, all we have to do (or should I say Dean has to do) is flip the switch and Wha-La! We don't use them much but it's nice and cozy when we do.

*Little Kids at Christmas time...I love watching my kids at Christmas time..seeing how excited they get..I love looking at their faces and expressions. They believe in the magic of Christmas. They do know what Christmas is all about though and why we celebrate Christmas.

My class watched The Polar Express yesterday at school and I enjoyed watching my kids as they watched the movie. That's a great movie. My little Sophie really doesn't know what is going on but she gets so excited looking at the lights and listening to the music. She loves music.

*SNOW...Well I don't know if we have any chance of it this year but it is just awesome when it snows on Christmas Day.

*Giving to others...It makes me feel good to give to others. I love watching my kids open up their gifts. I get great joy out of giving. Great Bridge West is blessing a few families this year with food and gifts. It's an honor to help those who are in need.

I will be busy over the next few days...church, parties, shopping, and going to see Santa.
I will keep you updated on the Whitehurst Christmas Activities!

Busy Weekend

Wow, where did the weekend go? It went by too fast! I guess when you have a lot to do it just zips by. My weekend started out great. For some reason I was exhausted Friday night so I went to bed early (9:30 was early for me). The baby was asleep so I left everyone up watching a movie. I knew I had a big day Sat. Believe it or not before this weekend I had not started my Christmas shopping! So yesterday Dean, Sophie and I started tackling the job. We made a few stops at Greenbrier, at lunch, stopped by the hospital to see my grandma, and swung by Chesapeake Square. We got some gifts and even bought Miss Sophia her first pair of shoes.

Today we enjoyed going to church. Then we had cantata practice (Great Bridge West-First Cantata-Sunday December 21-10:30am, Hunterdale School)Then the teens came over for a Christmas party. We had a great time!

After a busy weekend I am reminded to slow down and remember the real reason for the season!

Report Cards....Orthodontist & Middle School

I'm typing this post with much excitement. Madison and Connor had a regular checkup with the orthodontist. Connor got an 'A.' Dr. Anderson said he didn't know what Connor had been doing but it worked-NO MORE HEADGEAR! Yeah!! I'm glad we are finished with that. Madison needs to wear those rubber bands 24/7 and maybe in 3-4 months she can get her braces off. She did make principal's list on her interims. I'm so proud of her!

Feeling Better

I've been home with Sophie for three days. She's been a sick little girl. Today has been so much better. No fever today! I think she is on the road to recovery. Thanks for your prayers.

The Big Apple

On top of The Rock

We were really tired!

Madison texting

Madison, Mom and Me

Wow, what a weekend! I think I have recovered from the lack of sleep...it sure is hard to sleep on a bus. As some of you know I went to NYC this past weekend. It was a very eventful 30 hours! I had never been to NY before so of course I was excited. I enjoyed spending time with my family (my daughter, mom, sisters, aunt, & cousins)and friends. The trip was definitely an experience. It is a whole different world up there. I'm glad I had the opportunity to go. I'm posting a few pics from the trip and I emphasize a few since I took almost 200 pictures there!

There is one picture I am including of a nativity scene. The people were out on the streets of NYC singing Christmas carols and telling people about Jesus Christ. It wasn't something that I thought I would see in the city but I did and I thought this was awesome!

Sophie turns 10 months!

Tomorrow is December 6. Sophie will be 10 months old. Wow, where has the time gone? I'm posting tonight because in a few hours I am leaving for New York City! I won't be home tomorrow. Dad will be home with the baby and the boys.

In the last few months Sophie has accomplished a few milestones.

Things Sophie is doing right now....

1. Loves to play with the phone

2. Loves splashing in the tub (She has just started bathing in the 'big' bath)

3. Loves pointing to the lights ( in Sophie's words "bede")

4. SHE IS CRAWLING! She crawls everywhere

5. Still no teeth, but lots of drool

6. Loves looking at books

7. Likes to eat her Gerber Puffs and her baby food

8. Adores her siblings- She just gives a big grin everytime they enter the room

9. Still Loves her bankey

WE LOVE YOU SOPHIE!

Snaggle Tooth

Braeden has lost a couple of baby teeth. Dr. Koontz has pulled the last two. Braeden just had to have the dentist pull them. He likes the numbing stuff. Anyway, he has been missing one top tooth for about a month and the other one was just loose. Well that loose one was pretty loose last night. He kept messing with it and trying to gross me out. He gets a kick out of that. So I told him I would pull it out(yeah right, me pull a tooth..ha ha). I kind of messed with it and then of course it started bleeding. It was hanging by a thread. And then he said just leave it alone. So I did and a little bit later he was just standing there talking to me, wiggling his tooth and he said very calmly "Oh, my tooth came out." It was pretty cute. And now he is my little snaggle tooth. I love those little toothless grins. But you know in a way it's kind of bittersweet because it makes me realize he's growing up..too fast. Here are a few pictures....before and after...

Happy Birthday Cooper!

One of our daughters is a big time animal lover. Several years ago all Madison could talk about was wanting a puppy. We had had cats but now she wanted a dog. So we finally gave in and started searching the classifieds. We found some Golden Retriever puppies for sale somewhere...can't remember the name of the place. Somewhere west of here about an hour and a half away. Dean and I went first to pick one out and video taped the whole process. We gave Madison the tape for her 9th birthday. She was so excited. A few days later we took her to get her dog! She's been in love since. And yes the rest of us are pretty smitten with Cooper too...even Gampa!

I am blogging!

Never in a million years did I think I would begin to blog, but I have SURPRISED myself. I enjoy reading other blogs so I figured I would start one too. Thanks to Pastor Matt for getting me started. I am still not 100% sure what I am doing but I guess I will figure it out along the way. I was getting a little flustered tonight trying to set this page up. So I enlisted the help of Madison. And what do you know, she figured it out! Such a smart girl.

Anyway, this blog is probably going to be mostly about my family and what is going on in our world. I hope to keep it updated, so enjoy reading and visit often.