yeah, we’re partying like it’s 1999

uh huh….yep. sure are….That’s if your idea of partying includes 2 toddlers, one teenager, football, and brownies.  I know. I know….we’re living WAY too hard over here.  :) I don’t like going out for New Year’s….  I don’t like being around the drunks and all that mess. I prefer to hang out with the ones I love the most and just. be. thankful. I never regret a year or the trials that come with them…. I try to live my life in the moment and try to see the blessings in every single second. That’s not so easy sometimes, but when I look back at even the bad times I can see how God has used them IN me…. That’s how we grow and learn in Him. So, tonight, where ever you are I hope you are safe and happy. I hope you look back over your year and thank God for it all: the good, the bad, and yes, even the ugly. I pray that things even better than you could ever imagine are in store for you in 2010! Happy New Year!

Here are my girls partying down today in their “dancin’ pants”. They love to twirl around in them, and their daddy caught some adorable shots of them….Is there anything in life better than moments like these? I don’t think so.

 

an unexpected blessing

Christmas is wonderful. I love everything about it….the decorating, the food, the craziness…..most especially I enjoy the time with friends and family. 2 years ago our Christmas took an unexpected turn. 2 years ago we were in Guatemala…..God led us to start an adoption the WEEK BEFORE GUATEMALAN ADOPTIONS CLOSED. Yeah. God likes to do that to me sometimes. Talk about operating on faith……We didn’t know where in the world we would get the huge amount of money it takes to complete an international adoption having just finished one 5 months prior. They told us as soon as we got down there that they couldn’t guarantee that we could complete this adoption. Things were sketchy between our 2 governments, and everyone was wondering what country would honor which statements….Everyone else was wondering, but do you know what? I NEVER worried ONE minute about any of those things. I KNEW without a doubt that this was God’s plan, and I KNEW He wouldn’t let government mess stand in His way. It’s amazing that he chose Essie to save at that last hour and even more amazing that He trusted us to go fight for her and be her parents. It’s humbling and reminds me that with God on our side we can accomplish anything. You just have to take that first step on faith. Trust Him that He will keep his promises to you. Believe in yourself enough to let Him work through you… Be prepared that His way is most of the time not YOUR way. I have learned that if I just let go and let God He gives me the biggest blessings you can ever imagine. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus and the gift He was to this world. 2 years ago God showed me that He loves every little child just like He loves Jesus. Every child is precious to Him, and He moved mountains, governments, and paperwork to bring one of His children home….. Remember how I stated how everyone was so worried?? Some of those adoptions are STILL IN PROCESS. There are still hundreds of children grandfathered in like Essie whose parents are still fighting to bring them home. I pray for these children and their families….this ordeal needs to be over for them all.  During Essie’s adoption Guatemalan courts shut down and refused to release cases…..They added time onto EVERY step making the process take months longer…..and my Essie?? She flew through every step in record time. Her adoption took a total of 7 months, and we started with NO PAPERWORK at all done. If I wrote down EVERY miracle He gave we would be here all day. They were too numerous to count….We trusted God, and He brought her home. If you’ve read this entire story thank you….. I hope it touches and blesses you and maybe leads you to do something you were scared to do before. We were scared to death, but the reward is worth every single thing we had to do to get that precious child home. Take that leap. Take that first step on faith. You never know how God is going to bless YOU.

Two years ago at the very beginning of the journey:

The miracles themselves:

 

love and hugs,

these are a few of my favorite things….

Like so many others it’s been crazy around my house getting ready for Christmas….Who’s had time to refinish furniture?? Not me! I do have some HUGE projects that I’m tacking after the New Year, but for now I’m going to share my favorite piece of furniture….I kinda feel bad pointing one piece out….It’s almost like saying you have a favorite child. ALL my pieces are special to me. This particular piece is a Barrister bookcase that has been in my family for a LONG time…. I inherited it from my grandmother, and it was in my room growing up for as long as I can remember. It’s been everywhere with me and has held everything from books to my china and crystal. Now it’s sitting in a corner of my living room holding some of my favorite pieces and trinkets. Let me go ahead and apologize for the photos…..My camera WOULD NOT cooperate this morning. I figured a few not so great pictures were better than none at all!

 

Here she is. I have an oddly shaped living room, so she’s placed caddy corner on one end of the space.

She’s got plenty of nicks and scratches, but I will never redo this piece. I want to keep it just like my grandmother had it. I LOVE the dark stain on the wood. It really makes it pop.

The second shelf is the “greatgrandmother” shelf. My 3 sisters and I each got 2 place settings of my great grandmother’s china and 4 pieces of stem ware.

A close up of the pattern….It’s truly bone thin and translucent. GORGEOUS.

My greatgrandmother, Tennie, was an amazing seamstress….This is Mae, and she gave her to me when I was 6 or 7…..right before she died. I can remember her letting me sit on her lap and hold Mae very gently. I feel so honored to have inherited her.

This little piece is from my other great grandmother Anne. She was the first Anne Pearce. My mom is Sharon Anne Pearce Williamson, and my oldest daughter is Anne Pearce Lynn. This piece will be hers when she’s older.

Here’s another picture of all those loveys in the piece.

A gift from by best friend, Natalie, and a bird from my grandmother live in the piece….

as well as a picture of Essie and me in Guatemala….

an old salt container that belonged to Tennie, my grandmother Mammy, and now me….

some antique Asian pottery given to me by my mama….

a picture of Mama when she was little, a bag of Guatemalan coffee, and another antique Asian trinket box……

All of these things are a mish mash of styles and some wouldn’t agree with the way they’re arranged. I probably break every decorating rule with this shelf, but I don’t care…..It’s for me, and I love looking at it with some of my favorite things inside….. I always think of all my grandmothers when I look at this bookcase and am reminded how fortunate I am to have such wonderful reminders of the most fabulous women in the world…….Thank you Tennie, Grandmother Anne, Mammy, and Mama….. I feel honored to have even a tiny piece of the amazing lives you led.

 

I’m sharing this at Miss Mustard Seed’s Furniture Friday.

Christmas at Loulou’s

People. I LOVE Christmas….love love love it. I also love decorating for Christmas. My girls are 2 and 3 now and are finally getting what Christmas is about…My big boys still love Christmas as much as they did when they were tiny little things, and we have so much fun decorating…..

I’m joining the party over at the Nester’s and at Thrifty Decor Chick as well as at Rhoda’s.

 

Here’s the Christmas tour:

 

When you walk in the door the hutch is the first thing you see. I have all my Santa dishes displayed as well as my Christmas Village. I love that village. ;)

I always wanted to go live in my mama’s village when I was little. My girls love this one too.

 

I love how it all looks on my hutch. I also like that open drawer… ;)

Simple Christmas centerpiece.

Everyday plates replaced with some Christmas trees found at TJ Maxx. I LOVE that place.

These cute snowmen plates were a gift from Andrew’s Meme last year….

The windowsill in my kitchen….

I love this little vignette in my entryway…..

This garland leads you into the den…Those velvet and sequined balls are a tradition in my family. My great grandmother made them first, and now my sister and I make our own. I need to share a tutorial on how to make them.

My library table all gussied up for Christmas….Here’s part of my Santa collection.

Jan Brett is my FAVORITE children’s author, and I love her version of this Christmas classic.

A plate with Silent Night, an old children’s bible, and our Guatemalan nativity share this table.

I love having a part of my girls’ heritage added to our Christmas.

An old concrete planter filled with more of my velvet Christmas balls.

Another Christmas tale and a Jingle Bell candleholder.

Another nativity and book….

 

I guess I coulda lit the candles in these hurricanes for the photo!

Our glorious imperfect tree filled with all kinds of homemade ornaments and things from the kids….

This is the first year that we haven’t had a mantle so I improvised and hung them on some garland hung across a double window. I love the way they look……