Christmas fun!!!

A couple of pics prior to Christmas to warm you up to their cuteness!:

Christmas Eve with the Conrad/Overmans at Martha and Bills.  Bryan took some profile pics to start the festivities off:

Then the girls having fun.  Bill had lighted colored teeth here:

Christmas Morning fun (really on the 24th at Martha and Bill’s):

After a long fun day that started off with Bryan and I reading a small devotional with Adeline who wanted to read a few more before getting out of bed.  She is such a blessing with her tender heart (and not knowing of all the fun presents awaiting her – next year she may not have such patience with the delay), presents, naps (for me and the girls – bryan got to play a laser chess game), a walk to check out a house Bill is building, delivering breads/danishes (ALL of us in one minivan), and a wonderful Christmas Eve service by candlelight. Christmas Day at our home.  Pom-poms were a real hit!

Worn out and played out lounging on Daddy:

Before Christmas came:

So we put up the tree Dec 1st.  Oh what fun when you have little ones to experience the season fresh.  Adeline loved the ornaments.  For several cute ornaments and several worn and old ornaments she would pull them out and say… “(gasp) ah, look at this one it is oh so cute.  i love it, this one is my favorite.”  We were decorating a “family” tree and another very small one for her room.  She kept putting so many of her “favorite” ornaments on her tree that it kept falling over.  It never made it to her room either, she wanted it right there front and center with the “family tree".  Esther loved the ornaments as well.  We gave her a bell one to carry around and called it hers.  It was rarely on the tree.  Every time she would head over to the tree we would distract and redirect her to finding her ornament… the beaded bell that couldn’t hurt her.

notice the not so lonely branch":

 

Adeline took a picture of me with the tree.

 

She also had her “Birthday party for Jesus” at Sonshine Day.  They sang five songs.  She did oh so good.

Adeline is participating in Worship Dance at Grace United Methodist and they did a Christmas program (In the first snap she is near the bottom with a HUGE smile, in the second she is posing with Baby Jesus’ manger – an idea she liked):

Adeline loved all the parties and dressing up.  She did so well.  She was always confused when folks would ask about Santa and him bringing toys.  She would just smile.  Once she said after being asked about Santa that “it is Jesus’ birthday”.  That is right little girl, when you don’t know what someone is talking about you just answer with something you do know all about.  She would play with the Little People play set and retell the story – with a few prompts.  If it was up to her the wise men would have come several times on those camels.  She loved the Gainesville Christmas Festival that WBC preformed.  I think it is the live camels that made the impression on her.  This year she was really awestruck by the beating, death, and resurrection of Jesus in the play.  She asked a ton of questions.  Where normally when Cinderella’s dress gets torn she cries or runs out of the room.  I guess she just really needed to know more about Jesus this year.  During Christmas day festivities she even had us read the story of his death and resurrection when she got her Young Readers Bible.   It is something she keeps coming back to whenever we talk about Christmas…keeps jumping ahead to Easter.  Praise the Lord… the point is we serve a Living Savior who defeated death (for us to have life)!!!

PhinisheD

So graduation was Friday.  Thanks to Aunt Mary for watching the girls so we could all enjoy the ceremony stress free.  It was great.  Due to the amount of time to wait prior to and after bryan walked.  I did a lot of thinking. There were many moments of it feeling surreal.  Proud moments, just so proud of his persistence, brains, integrity, balance (family, work, school and God).  Moments of tearing up, I am Suzanne after all.   Moments of wanting to yell and cheer for him (though non of that reached the ears of anyone because the choked up moments would quickly come). Moments of praising God for ALL He has done in our lives for this to happen. Moments of being thankful for friends and family caring for us during this time with care and words of encouragement. A moment or 2 of wondering what is next, again I am Suzanne and though very content in having bryan back I am sure it will pick up a bit more than the past couple weeks we have had with bryan. Moments of playing with Martha’s iphone.  Pretty cool!  Moments of wishing adeline was there because just maybe she might have understood and had this proud moment etched on her heart… especially when one little girl kept yelling Mommy, mommy, mommy as her mommy walked across.  That so would have been Adeline.

God is great and we thank Him for allowing so much… for keeping our relationship strong during this time, for giving bryan the ideas, knowledge and wisdom when needed, for the time, for the ability, for the perfect committee, for timing, for him having favor at work with this project, for all He allowed while bryan was working on this, for just being Him and holding bryan through it all.

Bryan, professor and the other 2 he graduated with (Bo, JD, and Dr. Banks:

Family there:

My love:

The party fun:

Bryan just received his PhD!!!! So proud of you dear!!!!

A super fun and busy weekend

We had Christmas with the Shunks and are so blessed by their visit.

 

Adeline went to work with Bryan:

So we drag my Dad off to ESPN game day so Adeline can see the Gator Cheerleaders and band.  It was successful. 

Adeline with the cheerleaders in the background.  Adeline wanted bryan and I to hold her up by her feet. 

Doing the Gator chomp!

Essie loving Game Day of course!

Thanksgiving day fun!

We had a very thankful evening at Westside’s dinner. 

We had fun on a hay ride and boat ride before Thanksgiving meal and with friends and family.  The Tilley family joined us for the fun.