BLESSINGS of 2011

I found a blog that mentioned an idea of starting a thing called a Blessings Jar at the beginning of the year and throughout the year, writing little notes of the blessings you receiver.  They can be BIG or small and our whole family was to participate.  Then at the end of the year, open the jar and read them as a family.  I loved this idea, so I started one in January of 2011.  On New Years Eve of this 2011, we came home as a family, got in our jammies and then came out to wait the last half hour until he ball dropped.  The kids were happy to get to stay up and watch this with us and while we were waiting we got out the blessings jar and started taking turns drawing out pieces of paper with the blessings jotted down on them.  It was a fun and uplifting experience and then we thanked God for all the blessings he bestowed on us in 2011.  Below I have posted our list, that though they were not ALL the blessings we received, they were many of the ones we remembered to put into our Jar.  Thought I would end my book of Year 2011 with this post of blessings. . may next Year have many more!!!!

Blessings Jar – 2011


- Scott called Micah with Steeler's Game Tickets and they won!!

- Jan. 11 – daddy got to stay home with us for a week and play “narmo boys” or Mario Brothers

- Jan. 11 – Jesus Blessed us with a warm house on a very cold snowy day – Ava

- Jan. 11 – Michelle, Ava and Christian are blessing and very thankful for them. - Daddy

- Jan. 12 – Ava was grateful for sledding with Daddy and Christian the week daddy was home.

- Jan. 26 – Found out about Free Enbrel for a year through the mail

- March 22 – Ava finally got her tonsils out. . What a blessing

- March 28 – We got a wii – Yayy!!!

- We got a huge Double Tax return at tax time – surprise

- We looked at Daddy’s unemployment for four months as a four month Vacation with family

- May – We found out that Micah was getting a 13 week contract assignment – steady work for the first time in four months

- May 24 – Blessed to find out that CAS was giving us 4 free tickets to Hershey Park

- Nephew Roman was born and very healthy.

- We thought our ipod shuffle was broke, but we prayed over it and were blessed to find out it was still working

- August – Beach Trip paid in full and we had a blast. What a blessing on a year where Micah didn’t even work much

- Aug. – a second contract came through for Micah, giving us a few more weeks of steady work

- Aug. – Ava feels blessed to have a brother, mommy, daddy, food to eat and house.

- We were given mom and dad’s stove and it looks great in our kitchen and works perfectly.

- Sept. – Found out that Nana and Pappy were going to stay for a second week during their visit

- Sept. – Refrigerator broke and we were worried to have to replace it. . . but it ended up being only the heating element that needed fixed.  Very inexpensive.

- Oct. 24 – We were blessed to get the special call and go get little Jamie Blue Eyes to come home to our house and spend some time with us

- Dec. – Harry and Margaret bought me my new Kitchen Aid Mixer

- Dec. – Blessed that our neighbor Jim in two very dynamic ways

- Dec. – the kids were blessed to help put up the Christmas tree as a family

- Dec. – Nana and Pappy came to visit again and took the kids to Hershey Park

- Dec. – We were given three free Hershey Park tickets to the candy Lane Hershey rides.

- We got to keep our little guy through Christmas time and he has been a huge blessing to all of us.

- Dec. – Blessed with two Walmart Gift cards right when we needed them.

- We were ALL spared from any HUGE or Traumatic Health illnesses and no one had to have any time in the hospital as we went this whole year without health insurance. God Blessed us physically.


So, that is how I will end this year's blogging. I know the dates say into Jan of 2012, but I have to get the other updates of 2011 in for the end of the book.  I just had to get this BLESSINGS of 2011 out as my ending mark.  God Bless!!!!

Christmas Letter - 2011

Highlighting the Blessings and Big Events of 2011

Micah lost his job in Jan. of 2011 and yet, God provided time and time again and we just got to have daddy home with us more often. Micah and I started looking at it as a huge GOD GIVEN staycation and we made the best of it. Micah has had contract work different times of the year and that has provided income also. He got a nice buck with his bow this year and was happier than one could imagine.

I joined a praise band at our church and have really enjoyed that venture in my life again. It has been about 10 years since I have sung and I forgot how much I missed the praise and worship. I still get really nervous, but God helps me through each Sunday. I am loving my life with my children and love watching them grow. One of my biggest events of the year was being able to be a part of my nephew Roman, being born in June of this year. It was amazing and He is perfect. Another huge event of the year, My parents sold their house and moved to Missouri to be with my mother’s family. The adjustment, for all of us, has been tremendous, but over all it is a good thing.

Ava started school this year and still doesn’t like it. She doesn’t cry every day but she does ask just about every night, “do I Have to go to school tomorrow? I don’t like school you know.” WE KNOW AVA!!  She also lost her two front teeth this past month, so she is having fun singing the infamous song of old . . .”all she wants for Christmas is her two front teeph.” She really loves the fact that she is learning to read though and she wants to read to me now, instead of me reading to her. It is very sweet and I remember when reading to her while she was a baby, dreaming of the day to come when she would read to me. IT’s Here!!

Christian is a boy. . . need I say more. He is my little sidekick this year. At first, When Ava went to school, he missed her so much and he was so sad. I kept trying to tell him how much fun we were going to have but he was not to be convinced. I think he is finally realizing that now that it is down to just the two of us, we do a lot more “going places” than we used to. He has really started to talk, a ton, like incessantly, since his sister is no longer talking all the time for him. I think he feels the need to express EVERY thought that enters his mind. I find this rather funny and I just say he takes after me. I love talking too. My goal is to start working on his preschool curriculum this coming year. . . .to get him ready for kindergarten. He is really into Transformers and Legos and his favorite thing to do is to snuggle up on the couch with mommy and watch a movie while eating popcorn.

We have a new addition to our home for a few months. . . hopefully longer. Who knows what God has up his sleeve. We will call him Little J and he came to us at one month old with a broken arm. He is now almost four months old and we are all in love. He brings such a pure joy to our household that is so amazing. I am concerned about when we have to send him home, but God is good enough to handle all of our emotions. We feel blessed to at least get to keep him over HIS first Christmas. It gives us more opportunity to pray blessings on him.

And finally, with a heavy heart, I must mention, we lost a very dear friend this year. She is in Heaven and healed but the rest of us miss her more than words can say. It has been a long rocky last two months but God is good and will carry us through this. Please keep her family in your prayers this year to come also.

Well, I must end this letter and attend to the beckoning baby in the other room. He is making his presence very known right now. May all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Stay safe and God Bless you all.

With Love,

Micah, Michelle, Ava,

Christian & Little J

 

Midnight Walmart Shopping Trip

While Nana and Pappy were in and visiting for Christmas, we decided to hit walmart at night and do a late night trip.  By the end, Mom, Brianna and I were exhausted but as you can see the two sweet kiddos we took along, as a treat to them, were WIDE awake and hyper as all get out. :)  They loved the idea of having a late night trip where they actually got to go along and they go to go in their PJ's. :)

Hershey Park Happy with Nana & Pappy

Years ago, five to be exact, we started a tradition of taking our kids up to Hershey Park for the Sweet Lights and the rides. The first year was just Ava, Reece, Mom, Brianna and Myself.  They kids had fun and we have sort of been doing it ever since.  Granted, it is always a cold experience, but a great one too.  This year, mom and dad were in for a visit, so Ryan, Myself, the four older kiddos, went along with mom and dad and headed for a fun road trip.  The kids were a tad hyper but it was well worth the night of fun.  Sofia had never been to Hershey Park before, so this was her first time.  She loved it, as we were certain she would.  The kids rode rides all night but were disappointed that the BIG pirate ship was not open.  Well, dad took a walk and came back to tell us that he had found that the big ship was open indeed.  The kids rode on that the rest of the night.  Reece and Ava were fearless and went time and time again.  We played cat and mouse, while standing in line, in order to occupy their minds.  The lines were not long at all though. On the way home we stopped at McDonald's and filled our tummies so the kids would sleep on the way home.  Good times, good memories.

Christian's Helicopter Gift

Christian got the Ultimate Awesome Gift from Nana and Pappy for Christmas.  He got a remote control helicopter.  Once Micah got it up and flying, it was the  hit of the night.  I think it took Micah a few days to get the hang of flying the poor thing without crashing it.  Christian was so excited, and he spent weeks playing with it and crashing it.  It is now done and has lived out it's life span, but it was a great gift.  He still talks about it all the time.  When he first opened the gift, he was so excited and his face completely lit up!! as he exclaimed. ."Thank you!"

 Here Micah is flying it some more, during the days to follow. :)  He was really impressed with what I had helped pick out for Christian.  He kept saying he was going to go out and buy one for himself.

Christmas Day - My World

I am a bit sappy when it comes to family.  I cry and get emotional at the strangest oddest times.  For example, the above picture of my family makes me teary eyed every time.  First of all, a month and a half before Christmas, I lost a dear friend, as I have mentioned.  When you lose someone close to you, something strange happens.  You start to take EVERY MOMENT, and EVERY PERSON at face value and you start to appreciate them in a whole new way.  Sad that it takes something so traumatic but I guess that is the way it is.  So the above picture is just a moment we happened to capture before we headed back to our house for all the crazy Christmas events to unfold before us that day.  I love that Micah is up front and center, the center of our family.  Without him, we wouldn't function.  I don't always verbally credit him enough, because I know he gets embarrassed when I do, but he really does hold us all together.  He helps me keep the house where it needs to be so I can dedicate my entire existence to taking care of our two children and at the time of the picture, that included Jameson too.  Jameson is chilling on Daddy's arm, just the way a baby does, with a full belly and no cares in the world.  Ava is totally not paying attention because she is the eldest and she is definitely off in her own little world.  Christian is half way smiling as he is probably getting told all about how he needs to "sit still and smile at the camera." all this said through clenched teeth. :) 
Below, the pictures of little J, and his sweet little face.  We didn't know at this point if we would get to keep him or not, but we sure knew he had completely stolen our hearts.  I can still remember what it was like to kiss those sweet little cheeks and some days I would do anything to do that again.  He came to us in a hard time, but I think he was a gift from the Lord, to help us have something to make us smile when life was too hard to smile about. 

 

Bumbaugh Christmas

This entry is gonna be more pictures than anything else, but it sums up Bumbaugh Christmas in a few words.  Below is the table of kiddos, and they were having fun.  Ava and Christian finally graduated up from the LITTLE table to the Big kid table and as you can see in the background, they were pretty excited.  Then it was time to pile into the living room for the gift exchange.  This gets pretty hectic at times, but it always lots of fun and lots of laughing.   

I jumped in to get a picture of Garrett and myself.  He is growing up so fast and I can't believe he is graduating this year from high school.  I remember when he was a little boy and ripping into presents the way our kids were doing.  I also remember when Isaac and Sharon too were so small and loving this part of Christmas.  I do miss them as small kids but they are all so much fun grown up too.  Micah won a Sponge Bob Umbrella at a Christmas party and he put it in Scott's stocking.  I am pretty sure this was Scott's favorite gift from Christmas too.

Lori scored when she pulled out the Shrinky Dinks and everyone, not the kids, but the adults, jumped in and spent probably an hour coloring and playing with the shrinky dinks.  It was fun and we even made magnets out of most of them. 

Pappy and Grandma informed Ava that she had the biggest present wrapped under the tree and so she was super excited by the time it came to open her big present.  It was a Disney Castle with all the princesses, from Disney World itself.  She was so ready to get the castle out and play with it, and so were all the other girls in the room.  The boys all got a huge bag of Dunkin Donuts Coffee and you can see how excited they were.  Our family is a Dunkin Family all the way!!!   Christian got his Lego set from Grandma and Pappy and he was really excited about putting that together too.

Kelsey read the Nativity Story and the kids acted it out.  This was my favorite part of the Christmas day!!

Ginger Bread House With Nana

We got a kit to make a ginger bread house with the kids while Nana and Pappy were in.  Brianna was in charge of the icing type glue that held the house together, which she was good at it cause she is good at that artsy stuff.  I love how the kids were so interested in EATING the icing.  Reece wanted the icing, Ava and Christian wanted the candy, but Sofia thought she needed the candy.  She was sneaking pieces left and right, little stinker.  Every time we would look over, she was sneaking another piece.  She had us all laughing. 

The event was a tiny bit LOUD and maybe even a bit of stress thrown in there, but that was only for the adults. The kids had a blast!!! They were all very excited about decorating the house too.

My favorite picture is the above pictures with all of their faces.  Reece and Ava were over the top excited, like, "hurry up and take the picture so we can get back to what we were doing!!!" and Christian was making sure to say cheese. Sofia is sneaking a piece again. :)  Love that girl.  and Nana just looks really proud!!!  Below is the finished project.  What fun memories and times.

Santa is Just a Nice Man!

We have been maybe too honest with our kiddos, but they know that Santa isn't real.  They think it is funny when other people, random adults, ask them, "so, what is Santa bringing you for Christmas."  They used to blurt out, "nothing cause he isn't real." We have discussed with them that lots of kids think he is and it is not there JOB to tell them otherwise. I have them thinking that maybe it can be our little secret, so when people ask them, they smile and look at me real sneaky like, and I wink at them.  Then they say what they want for Christmas and that is that.  Christian is slightly in denial, and still says sometimes that Santa IS real.  That is fine too, but we did tell them that they were not to tell any other children that they don't believe in Santa.  They actually have handled it pretty well.

The other day, we were out and randomly shopping, and outside one of the stores, there was a huge BLOW UP sort of North pole with Santa and his elf's.  They motioned for the kids to come over and they took a picture, asked what they wanted for Christmas and then sent gave them each a small gift and a candy cane like a reindeer.  The kids smiled and enjoyed the whole event.

As we were walking to our car, I was wondering what was going through their minds.  Ava soon answered my question.  "mommy?  Even though Santa isn't real, he sure is fun to see as a nice man in a dressed up outfit."  I smiled and said, yes, it is a fun idea, isn't it?  That was that.  We talked about fun ideas and how the idea of him is the idea of being a giving person at Christmas.

Christmas and all the Trimmings

I have always loved decorating for Christmas. I can still remember the excitement in the air while getting the decorations out with my mom as a little girl.  We couldn't wait to hang the big twinkling start and the small ceramic tree with colored lights always went on the piano top.  I also remember trimming the tree singing Christmas songs.  I remember, my favorite part was the manger scene. I use to love playing with the manger scene nativity set on top of the piano, and I was always sad when we had to put it away.  So naturally, when you have fun childhood memories that bring warm feelings to your heart, you want to pass those on to your own children. . . .so I love to decorate for Christmas with them.  They share this love too.

The kids were so excited this year to help decorate for Christmas.  They finally felt they could do it themselves and they liked placing the ornaments while the music was playing and drinking Hot Chocolate.  Grandma and Pappy Bumbaugh give each of us ornaments each year from Hallmark, so the kids love hanging their own ornaments. This year, while we were hanging them, I would read the note from each individual ornament that Grandma and Pappy wrote, while they were hanging that ornament on the tree.  This was the first year they remembered ornaments from last year and they actually listened as I read the notes. 

Ava, my little organized one with the leadership skills, was telling our sweet passive Christian where to hang his, and he was listening. I had to break in and tell them that they each could choose where to hang their own.  Then I had to make a very conscious effort NOT to change or correct or rehang ANY of them, even if they all seemed not symmetrical. :) I will say the tree did look better this year than last and I anticipate it getting better each year. ;)

We had the Christmas music on and Jamie Blue Eyes was in his swing just watching the pretty lights and enjoying all the crazy commotion of us singing and dancing and trimming the tree.  The kids enjoyed this so much, that they even worked it out that they spent the night with Grandma and Pappy and helped them trim their tree. :)

Smurftastic Party Hosted by Crowdtap!!!

Well, I won a digital Smurf party from my favorite website Crowdtap.  However, I missed the digital part in the directions so I was waiting for a kit in the mail.  I had a deadline that I was supposed to have the party by and before I knew it, I had two days left. I then found the kit in my email. .  . . OOPS.  So, I was rushing around sending out the facebook invites to some of my friends hoping they could make it.  A few of them did and we ended up have a pretty Smurftastic Time!!

I didn't actually have time to do all I had wanted to but I did manage to make some blue cupcakes with blue icing and blue juice.  I also got some blue yogurt gogurts.  I had to through something healthy in there.  Then I reminded everyone to come dressed in their best blue to help celebrate the Smurfs.  I decorated the table with Christian's blue Christmas Tree.  Then I printed out the digital smurf party hats for the kids along with a few pair of glasses and got them all ready for when the kids arrived.

When the other kids showed up, Christian went running around handing them their smurf hats but they didn't quite fit on the kids heads.  However, they were cute.  Then he was showing them the blue table decor.  We ate first and then started in on the coloring pages.  They definitely all had blue tongues from the blue dye and a sugar high to boot.

The kids wanted their faces painted so we started with Christian.  Then we realized the paint didn't come off well, so we decided not to do it on the other children.  The funny part was that when I finally washed his off, he looked BLUE and SMURF like for a day or two after. ;)  He didn't mind so much though.

Here he is . . Papa Smurf?!?

Here they are playing with play dough and showing off their blue tongues.  :)

Over all, we had a great time. The best part was that since none of us had watched the Smurfs as kids, we didn't know a ton about them, and then the kids had never really seen them either.  As they were leaving, Cami asked, "mommy, when do we start the smurf party?"  Guess they missed the boat. :)  It was hysterical.