O Christmas Tree

This year we decided to get a "real" tree. For the past two years we have used an artificial one, but we thought the kids would really enjoy the process of picking out a tree this year. One of these days we will venture out to an actual tree farm, but we didn't seem to have the stamina this year. So Lowe's it was. Of course we got the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving (so these pictures are a few weeks old), and already the needles are beginning to fall off.....by the time Christmas arrives, the branches will probably be snapping off! Oh well.... the kids had so much fun decorating the tree (and their little brother to his dismay!) We used mostly their ornaments this year.....they already have quite a collection of handmade ones:):) Hopefully the tree will still be standing Christmas morning!!

Mary and an Angel

Sarah and Luke both had little Christmas plays at school this week. Sarah played the part of Mary, and Luke was an angel. Very cute! Andrew played the part of little brother as he watched (and ate snacks) through both:)

Quote of the Day

I heard the funniest thing driving the kids to school this morning. We take a little boy in our neighborhood to school every day and I overheard them talking:

(After listening to the song, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" on the radio)
Sarah: Jake, guess what?
Jake: What?
Sarah: I have been to Bethlehem where Jesus was born before.
Jake: WOW!
Sarah: Yeah, my cousin Caroline used to live there.
(After a chuckle and huge smile, I had to correct her...."Honey, they lived in Birmingham, not Bethlehem"...... boy do I love these moments!)

Giving Thanks

Andrew and Ethan (the littlest Miller)
Memories never forgotten of a beloved Grandfather

Caden(Miller #1) , Luke and Sarah
Buddies and Cousins:)
Indian Sarah with Luke and Daddy
Celebrating with Aunt Joy

November has been another busy month in the Shaw household . We started the month with a weekend visit from some dear friends of ours, the Millers, from Alabama. We had such a wonderful time catching up and spending time with their two precious sons. My sister and her two little girls also spent the night with us a week later. We had so much fun seeing them and having a "sleep over" in Sarah's room. (We can't wait to see the other two cousins from St. Louis during Christmas! It has been way too long since our last visit with them.) My mom, mother-in-law and I also got a chance to celebrate Aunt Joy's special birthday with a dinner out at a yummy steak restaurant. David and I spent two days feasting at Sarah's kindergarten Thanksgiving Banquet and Luke's preschool feast.... Before Thanksgiving even got here, we had our share of Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets (kids version of "turkey") and all the fixins'!

Our family also sadly said goodbye (or as Pastor Mark Walker said, "see you later") to my grandfather and David's uncle as they passed from this life to life eternal. They will be dearly missed, but we know that we will see them again real soon in heaven. It has definitely been a time of reflection, prayer, love from friends and family, and memories shared and never forgotten. We have so much to be thankful for.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures FOREVER." I Chronicles 16:34