Daddy's Date Night

Daddy and Austyn went on a Date this last weekend. We left it up to Austyn to choose what she wanted to do with Daddy and she decided to go bowling with Daddy. He was such a trooper with his back (no horrible) back. I think he even said Austyn beat him one of the games. Of course, I sent along the camera with strict instructions to PLEASE take pictures. So I thought I'd share some.

Random Happenings from the week

I celebrated Christmas with my Daycare kiddos on Friday and Avery was SO excited to open her new WAll-E blanket. I don't think she has put it down yet.

On the other hand, this is Avery's "Night Night" that she has had since birth. This is the blanket that follows her EVERYWHERE. Can you tell??? The funny thing is that both Austyn and Avery had a blanket made by the same person, same material and both ended up choosing that as their special blanket. BUT in saying that, Austyn used hers for almost 5 years and had maybe one "small" hole in it while Avery on the other hand doesn't have much left after just three years. Two different girls and personality types.

Austyn made this ornament last week at school!

Friday at school was pamjama day which Austyn ALWAYS loves because she isn't such a morning person. We also let her open her Christmas Eve gift early because we always give the girls special pamjamas to where that night so she could wear them to school that day.

Austyn also made this awesome wreath at school with her hand prints. She keep telling me all week that she had something that was coming to make me cry. This was it! The card reads: "Sometimes I might upset you just because I'm small by leaving fingerprints on mine on a table, chair or wall. But everyday I grow a bit and I'll be big one day when my tiny fingerprints have long been cleaned away. So keep these prints of my two hands to help you to recall just how big my fingers were that time when I was small." Isn't that AWESOME???

The Arrival

By Max Lucado

God had entered the world as a baby.

Yet, were someone to chance upon the sheep stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem that morning, what a peculiar scene they would behold.

The stable stinks like all stables do. The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and a mouse scurries across the dirt floor.

A more lowly place of birth could not exist.

Off to one side sit a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor; perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Their night watch had been interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. God goes to those who have time to hear him—so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.

Near the young mother sits the weary father. If anyone is dozing, he is. He can’t remember the last time he sat down. And now that the excitement has subsided a bit, now that Mary and the baby are comfortable, he leans against the wall of the stable and feels his eyes grow heavy. He still hasn’t figured it all out. The mystery of the event puzzles him. But he hasn’t the energy to wrestle with the questions. What’s important is that the baby is fine and that Mary is safe. As sleep comes he remembers the name the angel told him to use … Jesus. “We will call him Jesus.”

Wide awake is Mary. My, how young she looks! Her head rests on the soft leather of Joseph’s saddle. The pain has been eclipsed by wonder. She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel. “His kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:33)

He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.

Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.

She touches the face of the infant-God. How long was your journey!

This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.

Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.

Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking.

Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?

Santa came to town

Last night we traveled up to Austyn's school for their annual Santa Supper with pancakes, shopping and pictures with Santa. It was a lot of fun. We love Austyn's school. They did a great job with everything and the kids LOVED it. Austyn especially loved the shopping part of it while Avery enjoyed Santa. Austyn was a little unsure of Santa this year but after some shopping and pancakes she decided she was ready to try again. She told Santa she wanted a Wii and a Hanna Montana mirror. This is the third year in a row that she has asked for a mirror of some kind from Santa.

Austyn's friend from school...Madison. Aren't they so cute???

Mrs. Claus and my baby girls

Austyn made this Santa in her art class and was so excited when we run into it as we walked down the hallway.

Avery hopped right up there and sat with Santa. I think she was in a little shock from sitting in his lap that I don't think she told him what she wanted for Christmas. She had told us she wanted Blue's Clues.

It's never too late!!!

Today we finally got our Christmas tree up!!! YEAH for the Hamby Household. Things had been so crazy busy around here lately I can actually come to grips with not having everything up this year. The tree was kind of important though. Tripp brought the tree down from the attic, I put the main pieces together along with hanging the ribbon and we let the girls finish the rest. The was REALLY hard for me because I enjoy making the tree look perfect. But I LOVE our tree this year with it's purple, red and silver ornaments and even more so because the girls do it their way. It was Mommy telling them every second that that ornament is way too close to the other or that purple ornament can't go next to the other five purple ornaments. It's awesome!!! Sport even enjoyed playing catch with Tripp while we watched the girls decorate. He may be a funny looking dog but we LOVE our Sport. And he can jump as you can tell from the picture below. We hope everyone is enjoying the preparation for the holidays and remember why we celebrate Christmas. Jesus is the only reason for the season!!!