December 1-15 events

I decided to throw out some photos of our December activities to all ya'll who may not be on Facebook.....

Of course I'm not sure you can see the photos when I'm uploading them to Facebook but since my phone is my only camera right now I'm REALLY glad I can store them there! We at least have some memory of these happenings unlike for the past few years since the last camera got messed up or lost....
Maybe I should go to the trouble of developing those last rolls of film before the equipment to do so becomes obsolete, the sock door just hasn't been emptied in so long!....
Anyway...December has been filled with doing many of the things we do every December above you see our kid's yummy creations at Gma's... and Em enjoying some of Gma's beautiful Christmas decorations. When I commented on them she said "well it's easier when you don't have kids around as much (guess that's why you don't see a picture of OUR tree on this post:)...
Although we WISH we had enough room for a tree like this!...this one is at the Grove Park Inn. Their decorations get pretty every year.
We really go there to see the International Gingerbread House competition. We almost always disagree with the judges about the Grand Prize Winner and this year was no different....I mean REALLY....it was pretty but didn't look like it had quite the time as some of the others... anyway, these are from the kid's section...
We always have to stop and do a photo at Santa's sleigh...though the past couple of years it's only been Mommy's pretend "air" camera...glad we had something to record the moment!
Oh, he's to OLD to sit on Santa's sleigh (or to young since after us there was a group of retirees..

Oh...this year was slightly different in that at the 2nd grade musical we actually had a family member who had lines to read! What a blast she had singing and dancing on the stage too:)

Guess it will be a few years before we go back to see that December event.

Oh and our Cub Scouts had a blast with cookies and awards last night but I must not have gotten that uploaded...

Merry Christmas one and all:)!

Message from Ben Stein

I agree with this SO Completely I had to post it....

He's a Jew but I think all BELIEVERS of any faith would feel the same.....

God is who we believe in so let us talk about Him, granted it must be done with respect and only in a missionary way if requested, otherwise it's just an expression of what I believe..........


Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning - Ben Stein

I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late ! !



The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

I LOVE YOUR POSTS!!

I find I spend WAY to much time reading Facebook posts and not enough time on Blogspot!

Sorry to all of you I neglect. Of course when I do get on here I LOVE to read and catch up on all of your lives so I'm glad YOU are great at posting things!

We had a great time at Cane Creek yesterday with two families. The water was high again after the rain we have had this week. We also got to enjoy the pinewood derby race at church. Our Cub Scout group is pretty small so they invited anyone who wanted to make a car. We had two girls show up with cars, and I think we'll have more next year.

This week I worked for the real estate investor I was working for in the spring because the girl he had hired backed out. It's been a bit of a distraction from the business projects I'm working on so I'm hoping I can soon find someone else to take it on.

I'll post photos of this weeks events later. For now I wanted to share the :) things from last month I forgot while the kids had taken the camera!

David got the Good Citizen Award for his class:)!

EmmaLeigh got a Young Artist Recognition.

Erik got Academic Achievement (A Honor Roll)!

I was SO proud and can't help admitting I was a bit jealous...3 of the awards I dreamed for in elementary school!

EmmaLeigh had a BLEAST with her friends for her birthday party. They got to see Up in 3-D and have pizza at the new Brixx pizzaria at Biltmore Park. What a delightful group of girls!

You Just HAVE to Laugh:)!

For anyone whose been wondering why I haven't uploaded photos and videos to my blog or Facebook pages....here's your answer!

My KIDS keep capturing my camera for their fun and pleasure! Of course at the risk of TOTALLY embarrassing them and me I just HAVE to share a couple of the really funny ones with all of you!
It's the work of my future photographers, David (8) and EmmaLeigh (7).


The pictures are cute!

Most of them have to be edited out some I've just HAD to keep.


Can you tell where she is in the first one? Their favorite room it seems!















It was all good, and I would get the camera back regularly so I haven't really done anything. AND THEN...The camera came back into my hands again Tuesday night.
Actually I kicked it as I got into bed (David had been "sleeping" there).

Figuring he had been photographing himself again I picked it up and turned it on.

Boy was I SHOCKED to find what I did! It was the video below.

Let me say before you watch it I was glad they WERE asleep because I LAUGHED my head off!




Now, before I tell you in my next post what I said to them I'd LOVE to have your ideas about what you do when you KNOW they're just being kids but you KNOW you have to be the parent and do the teaching!

The Beginning of the End. . . . . . . . . . . .

As they say, all good things must come to an end.

As I am winding down my last month as PTA President at Glen Arden I have to say this has been a REALLY good thing for ME.

I have benefited greatly from learning a bit more about how the school runs and things that need to be considered as we work with many people. I have gained a great deal of respect for Mrs. Bradley and the many years she has put in. I TRULY appreciate the members of the PTA board who have served with me. I marvel at the wisdom of having a BOARD to help things function. They have taken over where I am weak and wisely guided me on many occasions.



Our Spring Fling this weekend is a great example. I have to say when I was pushing for a Spring Carnival last Fall that I did not realize exactly all the work that had to go into producing a good one. When my knowledge wained and my time got crunched Melissa, Katie, and Julie (all pictured to the left) stepped up to the plate in a BIG way. Jessica, Shandy Twyla and many more were in the wings, many I don't even know by name put many hours in!




Saturday didn't dawn with the brightest skies and even still I had my intentions set on raising $15,000. With minor mishaps and last minute movements of games and volunteers we pulled through. It looks like we are MIGHTY close to that goal.

I had a blast watching all the kids have so much fun!

I LOVED being able to let my kids just roam around and play games over and over and over. I thrilled to see the community of our school have this chance to bond together. I am happy they plan to do it again next year and hope that even more people will come out to enjoy the fun and games.

First Fun Run of the Spring!

Well we did it. The kids and I ran out to Davidson River last Friday for the first dip of the 2009 year. I told them they were CRAZY because it would be to cold still but they were determined and it was a beautiful sunny day. Besides I told them they had only 3 hours left of Spring Break and we could do anything that didn't cost money. They all agreed this is what they wanted to do and cousins were happy to come along!

Wish I had brought the camera out but then that's one of those learning steps. I carry my camera in the car but because we brought cousins we took their car.....oops forgot to change.

So we chose a new spot with steep banks going down into the river. There were small steep waterfalls about every 100 feet and deep pools in between for dips. Mostly they all stood around and looked at the water (surprised) but everyone got in up to their knees a couple of times and at least 3 of the boys went in completely, mostly rescuing shoes.

What amazes me is the peace I get from being out in nature. Okay so I get this peace whenever I take this step back, but REALLY how else can you manage 6 kids for four hours. Out there they pretty much manage themselves. There are the little scrapes and pains but mostly cool.

What's more it truly made me feel how much abundance God has granted me.

Not only do I live in a beautiful part of the country, I have the freedom to drive where I want to, our country has been wise enough to set aside these National Parks. Greatest of all I have been attracting into my life all the income I need so I could go spend this afternoon just relaxing.

It was a delightful day and helped me secure that I HAVE to make this summer as open and fun as the past ones have been.

OH PEACE!

Well today I'm back at the office and no one else is. There is a certain joy in the peacefulness of an empty building. I have had a LOUD week with me kids. Yesterday they GRATEFULLY all went to friend's homes (thanks to all those Moms!). Yet I ahd so much to do I cuoldn't breathe.

Today they're at my sister's and I have to say the sacrifice of a few hectic hours with her kids and mine Wednesday was worth it!

So I'm catching up on bookkeeping and took the time to listen to this talk by my dear mentor David A. Bednar . He points out the importance of watching and observing.

I think we must first observe and be grateful for the gifts God gives us.

I am so happy to be looking out into a beautiful blue sky. I am very aware that we needed all the rain we have had the past couple of weeks and VERY hopeful that this clear sky stays around for tomorrow. I've been pondering a lot about the need for storms in both our natural world and personal life. (part of re-writing my website).

As hard as they are it's wonderful to observe the personal growth that comes from pushing through each challenge.

I LOVE the wisdom of an All Knowing God who gives us struggles AND joys. I proudly tell my children "yes, I AM a mean Mom. Sometimes it's what you and I both need to learn the lessons required in this life."

Businesses Fail or Thrive

I really liked what my mentor Blair Singer had to say about the "Depression Mode" we can sometimes get our mind in. I ran into Blair at a Training Seminar and I totally connected not only with his thoughts about our "Little Voice" also on his teachings that we can and MUST use that voice to benefit us. By recognizing when we are being shown a bad idea or when we are just having fear because it's a new experience we can truly move forward in our relationships with money, people, self and God!

From Blair's EMAIL:

In a recent television interview, I was asked which companies were going to fail over the next several months. I asked the reporter why she wanted me to predict that. She responded by saying that it was important to warn people who were in businesses or jobs that were in jeopardy. I responded to her that even if you knew, what could you do about it? Particularly if your "Little Voice" and money making skill sets were low.

The issue is not so much the business that you are in, it's the mood or mindset that you are in.

If the "Little Voice" in your head is in "depression mode" everything will be bleak and you will see the gloom. If you have the wherewithal to wrestle your "Little Voice" onto the right path, you will see tons of opportunities, ways to make money and ways to keep your world in peace and order.


Wishing you the greatest day in the world with tons of positive thoughts and experiences!

Love and Prayers,
Marian Collier Hobson