Our Year in Review {2011}

As we reflect on 2011, these are a few of the things I hope to remember...

Disney World in January... such a fun time!

College/Young Adult Ski Trip

My cousin, Aaron, married Ellis!

His first trip to the dentist; rockin' his own style.

Shower for Megan and baby Owen!

Couples class 80's night {totally radical}

Much baseball

This boy turned 5

Pre-School Graduation!!!

My 10 year high school reunion... love my Raiders!

Lots of fun outings with family and friends

Mountain trip with friends

Forth of July in Dallas with Clay and Lindsey

Brads first {mini sprint} triathalon

Enjoying Bubba's last summer before he started school

Learned Entrepreneurship

Texas Ranger Fun!

This boy started KINDERGARTEN!

Horseback riding with friends

Kayter-bug broke her arm :(

 Regular lunch dates with Daddy

This girl turned 4

My great-grandma, Wilma Lee, passed away.  Love that woman and the influence she had over my first 29 years.  

 An early Thanksgiving in Austin with the Botos

Our nephew, Colton Wyatt, was born 12/14 {sadly, I don't have his picture}

This girl turned 2

And many new, fun holiday traditions!

Our Christmas Card

Here it is...

our Christmas card this year.

Right here on your computer screen.

As likely as it would be that we were too lazy to send them out, that isn't the case.

As likely as it would be that we were being cheap by not sending them out, that isn't the case.

As likely as it would be that we were too late to make mailing them worth the effort, that isn't the case.

This year, we just chose different.

As a family, we've decided to make some changes with purpose.

And one of those involved our Christmas cards.

...and this is coming from a girl who loves Christmas cards and all the beautiful, sentimental things they embody...

We decided to take the large small sum of money that we would use in printing cards and mailing them to make a small large difference in the life of a person. 

Actually a family. Or two.

We chose to buy a water filter for a family on the other side of the world so that parents can give their children the gift of clean, drinkable water this Christmas.

 Somewhere, the is a mother who loves her children, much like me.  

She wants good for them, much like me.  

She wants health for them, much like me.  

And clean water, unlike me.  

You see, I give my children water each day. 

 It's clean.  

I've never worried otherwise. 

Now, that mother can give her child(ren) and her husband and herself clean water. 

It's a small gift from me: a wealthy girl in a wealthy country.

But its a big gift for her: a impoverished woman in a poverty-stricken country.

Really, this is nothing big.  Nothing new.  Many of you do things like this each day.  I'm not trying to act like we are any different or receive any praise.  It's really not about me.  But in it not being about me (huh?), I really wanted to be able to show off my family.
This is a win, win for me: utilize technology to send you love and use our financial resources elsewhere.

So as our family and friends, we want to say thank you for loving us so much that we feel free to love others as we've been called.
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has not pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? {1 John 3:17}

And maybe if you feel led, you could buy a water filter {or two}, or sheep, or a blanket, as well.  Because wouldn't it be fun to be part of the group that takes what the Lord has given us and distributes it all over the world?

Hoping you have a wonderful Christmas. Much love to you.


Celebrating,
Brad, Ashley, Noah, Kayt and Emery

Our photo was taken by my ever talented brother, Blake.  You should use him, too. 

~Happy Birthday, Emery!~

Not only do I feel like I just finished this similar post about Noah, but especially this one about Kayt.

Alas... our baby girl, Emery Claire, is turning two.  

My how the days are passing quickly. Sigh. 

24 Things I love about my 24 month old...

24. You are the fiercest child we've known.  You play fierce, live fierce, love fierce.
23. You love your Bubba and Sissy.  When you need consoling or loving on, you easily choose them over me and you sink into their arms. They love knowing that they can give you comfort and love.
22. You are a great sleeper! Each night when I lay you down, we say how much Jesus loves you and how thankful I am for you.  Then, just as your lip starts to quiver because you want to stay up and play, I ask you if you want to wake up tomorrow and have a really fun day.  You're eyes get really big and you shake that cute little head "YES" in excitement.
21. Your favorite song to sing is Wheels on the Bus. You get especially excited about the horn honking. :) You also like doing sign language to Jesus Loves Me.
20. You're smile is contagious.
19. When we go shopping, you never like to ride in a stroller or basket.  You think you are WAY too big for things like that.
18. You LOVE to play baby dolls.  You are such a nurturer and use great detail in caring for them.
17. You've developed your own language that only I know well.  I love that we have a secret way of communicating.
16. You're beautiful golden blonde hair.  I love the way it strings across your face when you wake up in the mornings and you swipe it back with your hands.
15. I love your cute hands.  When you point to all the things you see, my heart melts with each point of your finger.
14. You have strong opinions.  I love knowing that you will always be a girl who knows the things she loves and goes hard after them.
13. You love to take pictures with my camera. Each picture I take of you is quickly followed by, "Me see?"
12. The way you wrap your little arms around my neck and press your face against mine is the best thing in the world.
11. You are very coordinated and active.  I think we have another athlete on our hands.
10. You want to do *everything* that your sister does, from small things to big, you want to be just like "Tayt".
9. You love your pacifier (ba-ba) and blanket (gankey).
8. You love to eat on the go.  You would never join our family for a meal if it were up to you.  You would rather roam the house and tend to your baby dolls with raisins in hand.
7. Your favorite thing to eat is yogurt.  I have to cut you off or you would eat a refrigerator full each day.
6. Each day when you wake up, the first thing you say is, "Bubby cool?"  wanting to know if you've missed Noah leaving for school.
5. You LOVE the movies Tangled and The Grinch.
4. You're love to stay up at night after Noah and Kayt are asleep and snuggle on the couch with Mommy and Daddy. And you usually find a way to convince Daddy to let you have some type of inappropriate snack, like cookies. :)
3. You are so funny and have a great sense of humor.  You love to tease people and play jokes, just to get a laugh.
2. Those looks.  Oh, the many faces of Emmy. You can change your faces from happy to sad to mad to silly in a matter of moments.  You keep us all on our toes and I know that there is so much to you that we have yet to discover.  You are energetic and fast moving and always up for adventure.  We've only just begun to discover the immense life that is inside of our girl.
1. Emery Claire means powerful clarity.  We've prayed that you have great clarity into the supernatural, that the Lord leads you through life with clear vision of Him, and that he speaks powerfully inside of you about his plans for you and the people He will use you to impact.

Happy Birthday, Emmy girl! 

You are adored by many.

Advent: Simple and Focused

This year, for the season of Advent, I attempted to break some of the truths of Jesus coming into bite-sized portions for us to address, in detail, as a family.  For 12 days, we will focus on one principle for a two-day period.  Only choosing six is also build in grace for Brad and I, knowing that we may need more time for one truth or may have nightly interferences.  

Mind you, this is really basic.  And it doesn't just cover the anticipation of Christ's arrival like many advent activities, but also His life.  That was just what I chose, based on the ages of our children and wanting to talk through the entire prophecy and it's fulfillment. 

I found pre-drawn pictures online that we are using, but I don't know where I found them, I didn't document the link. Darn.  But, you could have your children draw a picture along with each lesson, search for clip art to use, or do something all together different.   This is the most simple, basic way that I could come up with and it will give me a launching pad for years to come. My guess is that we will not do Advent exactly the same way any two years in a row.  There are also many great children's books out there to use. I just chose to use what we already had.  

Day 1:

Prophecy

Telling of something to come

Give an example of prophecy and let each person do it. Prophets throughout scripture told the people of a great gift to come and people waited with anticipation on this gift. 

Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 11:1-2

Color the stump with the shoot

Day 2:

Preparation

Everything was set in perfect place for Christs coming. God was preparing the world for it's savior. 

John 1:1-9

Color the world

Day 3:

Proclamation

The angels proclaimed the good news

Luke 1:26-38

Color Mary and Joseph

Day 4:

Jesus' Birth

Remember Jesus’ Birth

Luke 2:1-7

Color the cradle

Day 5:

Jesus Life and Now

Jesus came to allow us to know him and know his father.  He left the Holy Spirit behind to teach us and speak His truth to our hearts

John 20:31

Color the heart

Day 6:

Jesus to come

Jesus is the light of the world and he will come again

John 8:12

Color the star

We will hang ours with twine on a simple 'tree' made of branches from our yard that will serve as our table's center piece.  More beauty in the representation than the item. 

There you have it. 

Simple and focused. 

Two words I hope hold true for my life.  

Compelling Grace

I must have been six... maybe seven.  A first grader, I know.  My parents gained income after moving to a new, big city by my mother providing care for the children of a family transferred with us.  I wanted to that baby to want me.  To need me.  I wanted someone to need me because I felt so lost in that season.  I distinctly remember walking into the room where she had been asleep in a play pen (because things were not so fancy at that time for the name Pack-n-Play to have been coined.  It was simply, play pen.), but she was now awake.  I reached my hands, that I thought had much more age and authority than in actuality, out to her wanting her to reach back for me, but she didn't.  The baby didn't need me.  And she definitely didn't want me.  But I longed for that. So I sinned. I did something I knew was wrong.  I reached and pinched the baby.  I hurt her with the sole purpose of comforting her.  She began to cry, as I knew she would.  But this time when I extended my arms, she reached back.  Just as I needed her to.  I became the baby's comfort.


This morning, I watched my youngest point to drops of water that had spilled from her cup onto the ottoman.  I took her to the kitchen, gave her a rag and led her back to the spill.  She used the rag to wipe up the mess.  She made the mess disappear.  And so she repeated it.  Only this time, not an accident.  She poured the water, one drip at a time with purpose.  To clean it.  To make it right.  Pure.  She knew she shouldn't, but she, already, likes the role of making things right.  Being the rescuer.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.


What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 


The concept makes sense to our feeble minds.  God offers grace.  Grace is good.  But it is not a token for sin.  It is an extension of his love.  Of his kindness.  Of his son. 
But do we live as though this truth resonates deeply within us?


We make choices, as believers in the truth of Jesus Christ, knowing, subconsciously, that grace will be extended.  At that point, we miss it.  The goal of grace.  The purpose of his extension of goodness to our hearts.  His grace should compel us.  


If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 


His grace, lovely and unable to match with words, compels us to want to be more... more like Him.  The giver of all things good.  The one who graciously carved us out of nothing, to make us heirs.  


It's fair for me to know that if I accept his grace, it I stay as I am, if I continue in a life of sin, a life of anything less than learning daily to be like Him, maybe I don't understand grace. Or grace in it's fullness. 


For the love of Christ is enough to compel me to love the most unloveable.  And the grace of Christ is enough to drive me further and further from the me of old and closer and closer to the new of Him, to wisdom and purity and goodness that can fill my heart through Christ alone.  


So I ask myself this morning, am I pinching?  Am I spilling?  All with a need.  The need to comfort.  The need to clean and purify and rescue.  Because even if I do good things, without the forethought of Christ they are just that... good things.  But if I walk in a state of acknowledgment of his grace extended to me and it compels me to extend anything lovely to others, then that, is grace understood.  Grace lived.  Further from the things of old. Old me. Old ways. Old patterns. Old tendencies.  And closer to the things of new.  New love. New compassion.  New mercy.  New grace.  New beauty.  Christ. 


The one who makes all things new. 


  “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew of them.’ You have neither heard nor understood; from of old your ears have not been open. Well do I know how treacherous you are; you were called a rebel from birth. For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely. See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another.


As I love my husband, if I do it for his returned love, I fail.  I love him as I have been loved by Christ and I hope to extend the same manor of grace to him.  If I comfort and encourage my children for the goal of self-confident children, I fail.  I comfort and encourage them because of the comfort and encouragement that I have received from Christ and I want to extend the same grace to them. If I welcome my family into my home because I want them to be impressed anything I offer, I fail.  I welcome people into my home because I have been welcomed into a kingdom that doesn't parish, spoil, or fade and I was adopted into that kingdom, not a natural born child... so I want to extend that same loving, gracious welcome. If I enjoy my friends because I want to keep them, I fail.  I enjoy them because God has offered enjoyment, satisfaction through him alone and I want to extend that same grace.  


With a heart purposely set on acknowledging the ongoing gift of grace, I hope that the Lord allows me to walk in a state of grace.  


Offering only what he has already offered.  


Nothing thought up. 
Nothing of me.  


Only of him. 


For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.


Grace accepted and understood compels us. 
Compelling grace. 

25 Days to Remember

This is our family's Christmas countdown calendar!  

And it's full of fun family activities that I thought I would share. 

The kids excitedly open the corresponding card each morning... it's the first thing they do when they crawl out of bed.
This is what each of our cards say:

1- Make a chain to count down the days until Jesus birth

2- Fancy Dress Dinner: Choose your own fancy attire for a fun family dinner

3- Make Christmas Cookies (make extra)

4- Package and take cookies to the neighbors

5-Make snowflakes to decorate the windows

6- Sing and Dance to Christmas music... you choose the tunes

7- Write 10 things you are thankful for and post it where everyone can see

8- Candlelight Bubble Bath

9- Read "Let it Snow" and play with snow inside! (snow=shaving cream)

10- Go to Pop and DeDe's to help them with a chore

11- Shop for our Angel Tree family

12- Make Christmas Cards for 3 friends

13- Play musical chairs to Christmas music

14- Do something kind for someone today

15- Go out to dinner and go visit Santa (this is Emery's birthday so it will be a fun night out for us)

16- Have popcorn and play a board game

17- Make edible gifts for the birds and squirrels to hang from the trees in the backyard

18- Have hot chocolate and read a Christmas story by the fire

19- Watch a movie from the tent in the living room

20- Go look at lights! (and get a special Christmas drink)

21- Use your money from December chores to go buy Christmas gifts for your family

22- Go out to breakfast! (I was planning to do breakfast in bed, but our friend, P, comes to clean that day so we will be going out instead)

23- Wrap and decorate your Christmas gifts (this year we are wrapping all gifts in brown craft paper/paper bags and the kids get to decorate them)

24-Birthday party for Jesus! Make special treats to take to your family. We will be making these.

25- Spend time as a family thanking God for the greatest gift, his son!

And that is what we, the Ingram Gang, will be doing in the days leading up to Christmas Day.

Of course this is created around our schedule.  Brad and I have several parties this month, so on those days... the less time consuming activities.  I put most outings on the weekends so that we can block time for them.  The actives are basically the same, but the nights have changed from what we did last year. 

For me, I made a run to Dollar Tree earlier in the week and purchased the following:

-shaving cream

-construction paper

-bubble bath

-pretzels

I had everything else on hand

This is just a great way for us to ensure special family time (during a season that has the potential to be overly busy) as we talk to our children and help them prepare for the coming birth, advent... if you will.  

This week our family verse is Luke 3:4 "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight"

And that is what we plan to do:  

remember the gift that brought grace and mercy packaged in flesh.

Sharing laughs and conversation with my family is just one of the ways I can live in a state of remembrance.

I have also planned out Advent activities for the 12 days leading up to Christmas that I can share if anyone is interested.  This will be our first season to do an Advent tree and evening devotions.  Brad and I agreed on 12 in the days right before Christmas Day because of the age and attention span of our children.  Maybe someday soon, we will use the entire Advent season.  

Happy Month of Preparing the Way!

Four Years with Our Pure Hearted

September 25, 2007... a beauty entered the world so gracefully.  She really did.  My labor with her was easy (or at least looking back it seems so) and only fitting for a tiny 7lb 13oz jewel. 

And this year, we celebrated four years with her. 

Kayt means pure hearted and she is its epitome.  She is tender, nurturing, kind, happy, spunky, smart, and compelling.  She brings so much joy to those who love her.  And is the perfect middle child for our family. 

 Kayt has waited so patiently for months to be one year closer in age to her brother and join so many of her four year old friends.  She could hardly contain the excitement as her days of celebration approached.  We asked four friends to join us as we played up our love for all things girlie. 

She was up by 6:30 in anticipation for her "date day."

She passed the time by drawing. 

 Having a car full of 3, 4, and 5 year old girls is quite an adventure, believe me. 

 

They loved their pampering: 

 But Kayt did not enjoy being asked about her cast.  She really doesn't like to talk about how she fell from the monkey bar platform at pre-school and broke her arm two weeks ago.  She would rather just ignore the whole ordeal. 

 Kayt doesn't love attention.  It is evident to Brad and I that she will serve behind the scenes, never wanting credit.  

But we love making much of her!

 Because she means much to us. 

Pretty tiny toes: 

  And glittery, sweet fingers: 

 Lunch at her favorite four year old appropriate joint: 

 This type of celebration fits her personality so well.  Small, simple, and surrounded by her favorites. 

Working with her healing arm: 

 And ice cream for all gals involved: 

 A trail of sweet girls who are growing up to know Jesus and His love for them.  Praying for world changers among them. 

 Later in the evening, she and I ventured out for a specific, special present.  She needed to wear this.  We ended our shopping excursion with dinner at Abuelos with her Pappy (my dad). 

 Saturday, we cheered on Bubba in his first soccer game.  

Go, Raptors!

 

Followed by a family cook-out, Rapunzel cupcakes, ice cream and presents galore! 

And of course, more shopping.  

 I just cannot get enough of this girl. 

It is so fun having her as my daughter. And motherhood if fun with pink and glitter and bows. More fun that I ever knew.  

 Kayt Emerson, you've graced my life and filled it to the brim.  

I love you, I love you, I love you, sweet treasure!

Our bug. 

At age four, Kayt loves to read, paint, color, sing, and play with her dolls.  She especially loves all things princess.  She has naturally assumed the roles of caretaker and nurturer for Emmy Claire and encourager and confidante for Noah.  She giggles constantly and easily.  She doesn't take herself too seriously. She has an incredible memory and an extensive vocabulary.  She finds comfort in her Meme ~blanket~ and is a daddy's girl through and through.  She loves being surrounded by her few closest friends. She falls asleep easily, typically after reading herself a story (after our family story time).  She wakes early and happily.  She loves breakfast and rarely eats bread.  She loves broccoli, carrots, peaches, grapes, and Cheez-its.  She does not like sports near as much as her siblings, but loves to be their cheerleader on the sideline.  She is adored by her Daddy, Bubba, grandpas, and uncles... they are all smitten by her.  The ladies in her life, myself included, love for her to be around.  

Kayt lights any room! 

She has a mysterious, gentle, quiet beauty that is deeply embedded in her.  

Kayt, you are more precious than you know.  

Your daddy and I marvel and anticipate all you will become! 

Happy 4th Birthday, Lovely!

Our Boy: The Kindergartener

I've dreaded the day for five short years.  Or maybe even longer, seeing as I taught school and watched other parents go through this motion.  But alas our time had come and our oldest started school.

If you ask anyone who knows me well, they would likely tell you that I was full of emotion in the weeks leading up to kindergarten.  It is a big deal.  In a small sort of life altering way, at least.

And though I was excited for our boy who was giddy about the transition, I needed some time to fall into the role of mom and express my thoughts through tears.

But the day did come. And it went.

After I dropped Noah off I found myself feeling overwhelmed with peace and joy just knowing that "this is right."  The change of pace and challenge seemed so fitting- for all of us.  And Noah loved it!

Now, one week and a few days into school and this is our established routine.  We've had fun having lunch with him in the cafeteria, riding bikes to school, talking about the days adventures, and receiving phone calls stating how great he is.  All in all, kindergarten is not so bad.  And by not so bad, I mean it's really great!  Today was the first day he woke up saying that he really didn't want to go to school again.  Eight days in... that's good, right?  And I'll even admit that being somewhere at 8am is not so bad, either.  Jesus has definitely been gracious to this aching heart.  He knows, too, what it is like to let a son go.

It's a joy to watch my children grow and change and mature and follow the course of development.  And now that we've gone over the tiny hump we call school, I feel confident that we can face what is to come!

8.20

8.20.81: Some time before I was even an embryo, a not-so-tiny baby boy was born to two young parents.  He grew up in a lovely home with the same hopes most all boys have.  He was rough and tough and happy and easy-going.  He ventured through school and made memories on the playground.  He was a  fun-spirited child who loved being outdoors. He was giving by nature, rarely got upset, and was a peacemaker among family and friends.  He had a calic, too. He was popular and athletic and grew into a handsome young lad.

Or so I'm told.

I didn't know this little boy until much later, but oh, how he changed my life.  He came into my tiny world and made it feel larger than ever before.  And at the time I met him, I could only dream of the lucky girl who would one day be his wife.  I never dreamt that God had something so grand for me, that I would be that girl.

8.20.11: A not-so-young man enters the world of 30.  He lives in a happy home with two parents.  Only this time... he is the parent.  The parent of three wee lads.  He has dreams that are bigger than most.  He dreams of ministering to the broken and seeing people changed by grace.  He is rough and tough and happy and easy-going.  He ventures through work making memories in staff meetings.  He is fun-spirited and loves to be outdoors.  He is giving by nature, rarely gets upset, and is a peacemaker among family and friends. He still has a calic, too.  He is not only liked by all, but loved by many and athletic and a handsome middle-aged lad.

Or so I say.

And he is so much more.  He is the man who calls righteousness up in me.  He is the one who leads our family in prayer and the one who makes us laugh.  He is the guy who will talk to me for hours upon end and still listen to me as though I am fascinating.  He makes me feel beautiful and loved and safe and happy.  He is boldness tempered with grace.

He is my husband and I couldn't be more proud to say that I am in love with Brad Ingram, age 30.

Happy late birthday to my guy.  I adore you!

forever.