Ringing in the New Year with Change

I'm not going to lie. I normally do not set New Year's Resolutions. It's not that I think there's anything wrong with it. Typically they are just goals set that never get reached. That being said, there are some things I set out to do earlier this year that did ACTUALLY happen. Guitar was a huge goal of mine in 2011, and I am proud to say, (while I didn't start until this month,) I learned 3 Christmas songs. I proved to myself that I can do this, and I plan on improving and learning even more songs in 2012!!! Ultimate goal is to write accompaniment music to some of the poetry/songs I've written, but I'm far from being that good. ;-) This year I've also been so much better about getting in God's word, and I can say with 100% honesty that my prayer life has truly reached another level. So many people that I love have had a terrible 2011, and it made me realize how truly important and effective it is to call upon the name of the Lord.
So what do I want 2012 to look like...realistically? I want my relationship with God to continue to thrive. I want to be open to whatever He wants to use me for and I want to trust Him and not be afraid to step out and just do it! I'd also like to be even better about digging into the Word, not just reading it, but truly letting it soak in.
So what are these changes I'm talking about? Well, as you all know this Sunday will be the first Sunday at our new church. The reality of this hasn't completely soaked in. It's still hard thinking about not driving to TBT, but I am truly excited about the work God has for my family. I will be singing this Sunday, so we'll see how it goes! ;-) Aaron starts a new job next Tuesday!! What a HUGE blessing!! For those of you who know, he has been looking FOREVER!! This is an amazing opportunity and truly a step up from where he is now. Praise God for opening that door for us!! So there aren't a whole lot of changes coming for me, but I'm definitely thinking of finally going back to school, but we'll see! I'm kind of on 'change overload' right now!! =0)
Well I love you friends and appreciate all of you that actually read my weekly ramblings. I do pray that 2012 is an amazing year for all of us. I wanted to leave you with a cute little song I found about New Year's Eve.

Tuesday Tunes-There Will Be a Day-Jeremy Camp

I have heard this song several times, but for some reason last night it really got to me. In the midst of all the ugliness and sadness of this world, we have a hope. There will be a day when we see Jesus face to face and the hurts of this world will melt away. Oh how I long for the day of no more hurt, pain, tears and sadness. Until then, let's hold on to the hope that we have in Jesus. He will hold and carry us through this world when we feel we can't go on. He is all we need to make it through until the glorious day when we're finally home.

Christmas with the Blains

So today started out as usual! Up at 5:15 and then off to Denny's at 5:30 in our jammies. We had a delicious meal which in turn made my tummy hurt...TOTALLY worth it though! ;0) The boys opened presents and they both seemed super pleased with the gifts they received. Gifts aside, we had some great family time this morning.

I began getting ready for church and then of course the tears started coming. Luckily I managed to hold myself together through the song Sheila and me sang. Having a good cry while drying my hair this morning must have helped. ;0) I was lucky and got to work with both the nursery and toddler kiddos this morning one last time. I'm definitely going to miss their sweet little faces. Oh well, it just means more play dates in Dex's future. =0)
Definitely shed lots of tears saying goodbye, but I'm not going to let the sadness of the end of this wonderful chapter discourage me. Plus, I know it's not goodbye forever. I truly believe the friendships I've made will continue!!
After church we had a yummy lunch of Shepherd's Pie..not going to lie..I totally rocked this recipe!! Dex actually passed out in his Elmo chair right after lunch. I followed after him and it felt awesome to sleep for a couple of hours!

We then watched Elf. That movie just never gets old!!! Yes I cried at the end when they were all singing "Santa Clause is Coming to Town." What can I say, I'm an emotional girl?
Next Sunday will be different, and it's a little scary. However it's also very exciting. There's just something about knowing that you're walking down the path God prepared for you!
So 2012 is near, and church isn't the only thing changing for the Blain's! It has to do with Aaron's job. ;0) It's also a great thing! However, I will save that for another blog!!
So, Merry Christmas to all my wonderful friends! I pray you all had a blessed day and truly experienced the joy that only God can give!!

Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

Christmas Eve Shenanigans-I may even play my guitar!!

So today we had meatball subs, chips and apple pie a la mode!! The boys opened presents from Aaron's brother and parents. This was the first time Dex actually ripped the presents open! He was very particular about NOT making a mess though and handed every piece of paper he ripped to Aaron. =0)

While the boys watched the Cowboy game, I decided I would be brave and try to get a decent video of one of the Christmas songs I learned. While I admit it is not perfect...or any where close, I decided to post it any way!! It's actually a little funny when I watch myself searching for the next chord!! I plan on being much better next year!! I am my own camera person, so that makes it a little awkward too! ;-) Merry Christmas Eve folks!!

LIVE Tuesday Tunes-Yes I sing..Sheila sings! =0)

I told you all there would be a treat later today and my friend Sheila and me got it done tonight! We had a blast doing this. Many of you don't go to my church, so you will not get to hear this on Sunday!
I pray that you all have the merriest Christmas and anew year full of joy and laughter and a lot less hurt and pain!!
I love you all!!

Tuesday Tunes-Sister Act 2

So I realize this isn't Christmas related, but I heard "Oh Happy Day" on Pandora and couldn't resist sharing this amazing soundtrack!! I don't know if I'd say this is my favorite movie, but the music is GREAT!!! I used to listen to the soundtrack to this movie and practice hitting the super high note in this song! =0) The song "Joyful, Joyful" was my solo in my middle school choir, but I'm not sure anyone can sing it as well as Lauren Hill. Well enjoy folks. "Oh Happy Day" is a song that makes me want to dance and sing..and makes me so very happy. If this music doesn't move you, there might be something wrong with you! ;0) Hehe, just kidding!!! Well enjoy these videos. I'm hoping to have a special treat for you tonight, so stay tuned. ;-)

Potty Training 101

So I'm going to start by saying this is definitely not a how to or anything like that. In Dex's case, I can honestly say I did nothing but wait! SO here's how our potty adventures began.
I was in the restroom and Dex came in and said "I go potty. My turn, my turn." I put him on the potty and he immediately went. We went to church, and when we got home I took him again. He was completely dry and went again. The past few mornings he has been dry, so today my plan is to put him underwear and see how it goes. I am very nervous about this process and here's why.
Dex has had 2 poo incidents. I always hoped my child wouldn't be a 'digger.' Well I came home from the store this week and he came up and showed me his finger saying "Ewww, mommy, Eww!!." Aaron went to change him and sure enough his breath had a nasty smell to it. I think Aaron was more disgusted than I was. ;0)
Then he decided his daycare teachers needed to experience his 'digging' also! This time the 'evidence' was all over his shirt and his chin.
Needless to say, we have had many conversations about why this is NOT acceptable. SO I'm sure you can understand why the thought of undies scare me. I'm hoping he just gets it like he seems to. Then I won't have to worry about the mess that's coming.
Well that is our experience so far. He was just ready on his own. I'm so very glad I let him do it in his time. It's been a lot less stressful for sure!!! Hopefully next time I write about potty training, it will be to say he's completely got it!! Until then....

Tuesday Tunes-Mary Did You Know?

To stay in theme of the holiday season, I thought I would share this song. While my favorite version is the one by Michael English, Crystal Lewis does a phenomenal job also. This song has always been a favorite, but for some reason I never though to sing it....until now. My friend Sheila and I will be singing this Christmas Day at church, so it will be even more special to me going forward. :-)
Enjoy! This isn't the exact version we'll be singing, but you'll get the idea! ;-)

Change for the Blains

So many of you have been curious about my cryptic messages regarding upcoming change. The news has been shared with those that we serve with, so now I will let you all in on what is coming January 1st. I'll begin with how it started.
Aaron went to a men's fellowship to watch a Cowboy game back in October, I believe. He ended up not getting home until well after midnight due to some deep conversations with the pastor of the church hosting the event. At that point and maybe a little before, Aaron started feeling like God might be calling him away from our current church. He was told of some awesome opportunities to serve in the areas he feels God has been calling him to for quite some time. I'm not going to lie, there was definitely a part of me that wanted this door slammed shut. However after much prayer, we are both at peace with our decision to leave our family at TBT,(Trinity Baptist Temple.) When I say family, I'm not referring to blood relatives. I am talking about our church family that we've loved from the moment we started going there.
Here's the reason why this is so terribly hard, and why every time I think about the reality of us leaving I can't stop the tears. First of all, it's the only church Dex has ever known. Thinking about removing him from his cute little friends that he's grown up with and all the many workers that have loved on him hurts my heart.
Another thing that has meant so much is how the workers have continued to love Brett even though he has misbehaved so many times in their care. They have a heart for kiddos, and have really taught Brett a lot.They have loved him for who he is and have always cared about his well being. He was saved and baptized at TBT and has made some of his dearest friends there too.
While I could go on and on about all the many things that have made me and my family love TBT,  the most important thing has been their prayers for us. Even more than that is their prayers and concern for my friends going through extremely devastating situations. The compassion, love and concern they show for people they don't even know is a true example of Christ's love.
Our last day at this wonderful church will be December 25th, and I couldn't imagine spending Christmas Day with a more wonderful group people. There will be lots of tears from me. This past Sunday was so hard, and I know this Sunday will be even harder. Christmas Day I'm sure I'll be a mess. It's okay though, because I know that this is not good bye forever. I still plan on getting myself (or at least my kids,) invited to birthday parties and baby showers. :0)
I do have peace that we are going where God wants us to be. How foolish would we be not to walk through a door He is holding wide open for us? So while change hurts so very much, and honestly I don't like change AT ALL, I know that God is in this and He's going to bless us.
So to my TBT family, I love you all more than you'll ever know. I'm going to miss seeing your warm happy faces Sunday morning,Sunday night and Wednesdays. I would have liked to have told each and every one of you in person, but I'm a crier, so it's hard to talk too much about it without causing the downpour of tears. All of you have a special place in my heart, and I look forward to and will cherish these next couple of weeks with you!
On a side note, please pray for me these next couple of Sundays. I am singing during our Christmas special this Sunday morning, and will also be singing a duet with my dear friend on Christmas Day! Please pray that I can hold my composure!  I am definitely not a graceful 'singing crier.' ;0)

Blain Christmas Traditions

I thought this would be a fun little topic and I'd love to hear some of my friends traditions too! =0) While it's not quite Christmas yet, I believe  Black Friday shopping kicks off the whole Christmas season. My friend Jen and I meet up anywhere from 11:30PM-3AM, (depending when the sales start,) to get started and catch the best deals...(aka buy ourselves some super awesome boots and towels from Kohl's.) While it is complete MADNESS, we both enjoy EVERY SECOND of it!!

We have a few Christmas traditions in the Blain household. The first thing is we have a list of Christmas movies that we watch each year: White Christmas (my favorite,) Die Hard (Aaron's favorite,) and The Grinch w/ Jim Carey. It seems like new movies get added each year...Elf, Edward Scissorhands, but the top 3 were the first ones I listed. Dex actually sat through the whole entire Grinch this year. Considering Elmo is no where in this movie makes that a HUGE deal!! =0)

I think my favorite tradition is waking up at 5AM Christmas morning and going to Denny's for a French Toast Slam. We then come back home and open presents. Then Aaron and I try to go back to bed. ;)

Christmas day is pretty chill after presents are opened. We don't do a big lunch. Last year we had meatball subs, chips and dip. Not sure what's on the menu this year, but we try to keep it simple with just Aaron, me and the boys.
One tradition I'm hoping to start now that I have learned to play Christmas carols on my guitar is singing. It's something I always enjoyed so much as a child. Singing=Christmas at my grandparents house. Once my grandpa passed away that kind of stopped, but I WILL restart this tradition this year!! =0) I'm no where near the musician he was, but that's not the point!
Well my friends, that's all until I am inspired to write again!!
Couldn't resist posting this from my ALL TIME FAVORITE Christmas movie! Enjoy!

Tuesday Tunes-Once Upon a Christmas-Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers

Go ahead and make fun! =0) I promise I don't care. This album is silly and cheesy, but it makes me so happy and brings back so many great childhood memories. We always listened to this album at my grandparents house at Christmas time. I loved it then and I have even shared this wonderful Christmas album with my family. Aaron, yes MY Aaron can even be caught singing "I'll be Home with Bells On." While we no longer have Christmas at my grandparents house, and my grandfather passed away when I was in 5th grade, I still miss the days when this was playing in the background on Christmas day at their house. While Christmas is still wonderful and magical with my family now, part of me will always long for the days of Christmas as a kid at my Meemaw and Papa's house with Dolly and Kenny serenading us in the background.
Enjoy these videos...I was super stoked I could even find these. =0)