the excitement of Christmas

It all started on friday morning. "Are we going to open our presents today mommy?" "Is Santa coming down the chimney tonight?" Our plans were to have our family Christmas on friday night and Santa was visiting our house early saturday morning. The excitement grew and grew all day long and we could hardly contain ourselves! It is truly amazing to experience this thru the eyes and ears of a child. We had a precious dinner with candlelight, a time of sharing stories and discussing Christmas' when mommy and daddy were kids. At last, the time was here. We had studied throughout the month that the wise men came to the baby Jesus and they brought three gifts to him as a sign of worship. We each had three gifts like baby Jesus. William went first and was so excited to see his CARS race track mountain/CARS game. He also received a book about a cowboy named Gideon (from the Bible) and a puzzle that helps him spell words like cat, fish, and boat. The excitement didn't stop there. He was so overwhelmed about seeing us open our gifts that it truly warmed my heart. As the night drew to a close, the questions and comments about santa started coming. "Will we hear his reindeer?" "I hope he likes his cookies." "He won't come unless I am asleep mommy." This was the ONLY time I have ever seen him ready for bed before 9:00pm! Needless to say, the excitement hit an all time high on saturday morning. We went in to wake him up and William says "did he come?" "Let's go look at our stockings." We hurried into the living room to find more goodies in our stockings and then the surprise under the tree. A bicycle! Santa brought me a bicycle were the words coming out of his mouth over and over. He was so pleased and wanted to ride it down the hall and he kept saying "thank you santa; thank you" I will cherish this excitment forever. The anticipation, the true happiness in his eyes. What a great Christmas!

Dondra

Daily Reflections

As each day of december has come and gone, there has been this little voice asking "Mommy, when is Christmas? When is Santa going to be here? Have we done our paper chain today?" I wanted to reflect every day on something new and different to make each day special for William ,Tim, and I. We made a paper chain at the beginning of the month and we have been anxiously counting the days. Each day brought a new adventure like putting up the tree, decorating it with countless ornaments, and making cookies for his teachers at school. I hope as the holiday comes (and goes) that he will be able to remember all the little celebrations we did and keep them in his mind as new Christmas' are promised. What a joy it has been to celebrate and share with him about the meaning of Christmas.

Dondra

this has been our verse all month "For unto us a child is born..." Isaiah 9:6

Every Day

On tuesday of this week, Tim and I had a milestone; we have been together for 15 years. Yes, on that special day in 1992, we went on our first date. As I look back at all these years and how I really can not imagine my life without him, I am drawn to this song. It is a new song by Rascal Flatts and as I listened to it on the way home, tears starting streaming down my face. This is so true of my relationship with him and I am thankful for everyday we spend together.

"...my secrets are safe, the only one who gets me, you get me , it's amazing to me how every day every day...every day , you save my life."

to every day, I love you Tim!

Dondra

a Weekend Away

This past weekend William had the opportunity to go and stay with his Grumpy and Granny Lou. He always has such a great time and was looking forward to it. Each time as I checked in on him, he sounded like such a big boy on the phone. He told me about riding the tractor (a john deere riding lawn mower), about throwing rocks at the pond, and of course going to wal-mart. While he was at their house, Tim and I attended our leadership retreat for the church during the first part of the weekend and then we had some time to ourselves. It is amazing how quite the house is when William is gone. It is nice to have those weekends; you can enjoy being together as a husband and wife (and not answer a million questions at dinner) and really have time to focus on yourself and get some things done. As the week has progressed, it is uplifting that God knew that we all would need a weekend away. A time to prepare for the busyness and craziness of our days and weeks. Whether we all get away as a family or we do something like this past weekend...we need to remember that those are the times that keep us going.

Music to my ears

Most of our family and friends know this, but I am pretty sure we have an up-n-coming musician in our home. William has liked drums and the guitar for awhile now and absolutely loves listening to music. He often talks about 'his band' and tells me stories of them playing and of course Tim Bach is always there. As I am taking a break to write, I hear him strumming on his guitar making up another song. The song that brought a smile to my face is"I will obey my mom....or I will get into trouble". Picture him singing at the top of his lungs and in the most rock-n-roll way a four year old can sing. Sometimes I really feel like he never listens to me and he never obeys (like today!) and then he breaks out singing this great song. What a wonderful thing to hear! :)

Dondra

What Day is It?

As the thanksgiving holiday has come and gone, I can not help but take a moment to truly be thankful for the blessings of the year and the special time we had last week. We started the week off right with a long trip to target to get all the last minute necessities for making dressing, pies, and all the other once a year food. Wednesday was a day to prepare and to answer William's unending question of 'when are grumpy and granny lou going to be here?' Thanksgiving day brought about such a warmth and a delight for me. I enjoyed being able to get everything ready and especially enjoyed watching Tim carve the smoked turkey I purchased so I wouldn't mess it all up. After we had all gathered around the table, had a prayer of thanksgiving, and dug into the great food, my sweet boy says "what day is it mommy?" I told him again that it was thanksgiving and what this day meant and he says to me "you know what tomorrow is?" "It's Christmas!" You guessed it! Earlier in the week, I had told William that after thanksgiving, it was Christmas. So...as I take that moment and offer up thanksgiving, I want to remember what day it is and that every day gets closer to celebrating Jesus' birthday.

Dondra

Being an Aunt

This past weekend we celebrated our thanksgiving meal with mawmaw, pawpaw, Dodie, Jake and Hannah. This was our first holiday to be together with the new addition of baby Hannah. I so enjoyed being around everyone and getting to spend some special time with my niece. We laughed our heads off as Dodie passes Hannah over to mawmaw, going across the table, and with the best timing ever, Hannah drops drool on the pumpkin pie. Or what about helping her take a bath and seeing William play with his cousin and trying to be ever so careful and gentle. As I thought about being an aunt on the way home I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with a bittersweet emotion. These are some of the firsts of many holidays with her but not really with her. Next year, my sister, brother-in-law, and niece will go to peru to serve as God has led them. It will be different; it will be hard; it will be challenging; it will be rewarding. So...as time will allow these coming months, I look forward to spending time with this precious one, my little niece. I will cherish every minute with her and hope she will always know that she has a special place in my heart.

Dondra

Brave

It never ceases to amaze me at how resilient kids can be especially my own. We started out having a good week but William's cough just wasn't getting better. As a cautious mom, I called the doctor just to make sure because I noticed he was wheezing more and more. After almost 2 hours in the doctors office, we had a breathing treatment and were being diagnosed with a small case of pneumonia in his chest. To add to the long wait, we go to the pharmacy for another hour to get all his medication. Luckily, he took a nap during this time. We had a hard and trying day tuesday and yet he never really complained. He took everything in stride and spoke of how brave he was. As he finished his breathing treatment, with mommy covering his ears, he says "that sounded like a train and I am glad it's over." We had to go have an xray on wednesday and yet another case of a big boy being very brave. He went in, did exactly what the tech asked (I need her secret!) and came out yelling "mommy, I did it! I did it! I was soooo brave." The tech bragged on him and he was happy to have his bone picture taken. He reminds me that I need to be brave and resilient; he has truly amazed me this week and I am so proud of him.

Dondra

Lost

I have started reading a book entitled "Lost Women of the Bible" and I have come to find out that God has purposely deteremined for me to read this book at this particular time in my life. It's amazing how God does that! :) There are some days that I do feel lost...lost in my purpose when it seems all I do is the laundry, pick up hot wheels for a hundred times a day, and the countless other responsiblities a stay-at-home mom faces. Here recently I have felt lost more in my place. My place in the home as a wife and mother, my place in the church, my place in relationships and wondering okay God, why do I feel lost and without purpose or a place? I know this sounds crazy but there are days that these questions just get me down. As i was reading about Sarah the author brought out an amazing part of Sarah's life that I had never really thought about. I am fond of Sarah because her promise of a child was answered and I can truly relate to that (though I am glad I wasn't 90 years old!). The amazing part of Sarah's life was the long part, almost 89 years, of her waiting on God. Thinking that He had left her. That He wasn't going to bless her. These were the silent years. The years were she had to question every day what is my purpose and place. So...as I look at my own life and the waiting or wondering of the silent times (maybe days, maybe months or years) I find a comfort in knowing that God will forever keep His promises and there will be answers. There will be a time of hearing from God and the silence will disapper and I will know my small purpose and place in His perfect Will.

Dondra

Traditions

As the holidays get closer and closer, I look forward to the many things we do as a family that have become little traditions. I was thinking the other day that I would like to document these and that way we can continue to share them as our family grows and gets older. I was also thinking of the little 'traditions' that William and I do just the two of us. As they come to my mind, I want to remember them as special moments too. Some of them are...

*when we go shopping at Target we get popcorn and drink
*when Tim is out of town we usually have a special dinner, like tonight, at Chipotle on the patio
*he is my shopping buddy; he may not want to admit it later, but he normally does well if we need to go to Kohl's or Hobby Lobby or Michaels
*we watch special movies together
*we say our verses together at breakfast or lunch or even in the car
*we all play a game in the car...to see if each person can recognize who is singing on the radio; he is quite good at this game. He knows Keith Urban (of course), Rascal Flatts, Sara Evans, and he is learning more and more. He is definitely a music man!

There are others that as we do them and make new ones I will need to record. I look forward to this holiday season and sharing more and more traditions with him and enjoying this season.

Dondra

Happy Halloween

As yesterday progressed, the same question came over and over again. "When are we going trick or treatin'? "I am going to be a good pirate mommy." He had a great time getting dressed with his pirate jeans and shirt, his tattoos, hat, eye patch and sword. The best thing I will remember is how he got into pirate mode outside waiting for it to get dark. He would chase his daddy around the yard and play swords and 'pretend' to get the bad guys or bad pirates. He definitely got into character and as he did mommy got some great pictures of our 'good' pirate.

A Legacy

Every year since Tim and I have been together I remember going to Karnes City and having our bird hunt and shopping trip. It is interesting how as the years have passed some things still stay the same and some things change. The things that stay the same are what make it unique to the Pyle hunt. There will always be barbeque involved; there will almost always be games of uno (although with kids running around it is getting harder) and there will always be the legacy of Bill and Joyce Pyle. They had three boys; each of them had boys and now each of those boys have boys. What is truly amazing is that for us younger girls in the family we only know that legacy on what we see right now and the stories we have heard. I truly picture William, Jed, and Nathan to be one huge mix of both Papa and Nana. What I wish I could see would be Papa and Nana with William, Jed, and Nathan. It is really neat to see how a family can come together (sometimes just once a year) and just pick up where you last were. How exciting to see all the 'little' boys running around, feeding cows, riding tractors and 6wheelers, and wondering does anything else truly matter? A legacy emcompasses so much love, faith, and prayers and I truly have never been more proud to be a part of something so great!

Dondra

Another year

This week I celebrated my birthday and it seems impossible that another year has come and gone. I think about all that I want to do or that I have done and it reminds me that yes I am getting a little older (and hopefully a little wiser). I am proud of where I have come and grown this year. There have been several milestones in my own life of finding out that God loves me just the way I am and created me to be beautiful. I also learned to take a stand for myself and my family and forgive those that hurt me and my family. I will always remember a time of prayer that we had at our church called 21 days of prayer. God intervened at a time that I needed Him desparately and He radically changed my life through prayer. I often forget to record or focus on the milestones in my own life as I want to record every little and big thing that is going on in William's life. I need to remember that these milestones, big or small, are changing and growing me into the woman (wife, mother, daughter, friend) that I need to be. I look forward to another year and what it has to offer.

Dondra
p.s. I have to mention this about William- we woke up yesterday and he didn't realize it was my birthday just yet. Tim was gone out of town and we went into the kitchen to have breakfast. I got him his usual (scooby doo yogurt and cherrios) and then went to restroom. I came out and he said 'mommy, come here; I need to show you something.' I went into the kitchen and he had got the bread and the peanut butter out so I could make me some toast. 'Everything is ready for you mommy'. What a sweet birthday present (and he didn't even know it at the time!) :)

A Child's Perspective

This week we have been talking about the excitement of today and that William is (was suppose to be) line leader at school. This involves taking a snack for his class, sharing one of his favorite books, and pictures of his family. As the evening progressed last night, what we thought was a little cough got worse and worse. Then came the fever and the throwing up. During all of this mess and him feeling so bad, he looks at me with such sad eyes and says "Mommy, I don't think I can go to school tomorrow. I can't be line leader." It broke my heart knowing that he had looked forward to this day where he was "extra special" in his class and really got to shine. Sometimes we take those small little moments for granted and I so want to remember those. I have reassured him all day that he will have another chance at being the line leader and that today he got to have some extra special time and attention from mommy.

Dondra

the "What If s"...

Due to some unusual circumstances this week, I have had a lot on my mind about William and the 'what ifs' of life. What if...he doesn't really understand talking to strangers can get him into trouble. What if...he were to get kidnapped. What if...we as parents fail to teach him about things like safety, being a good person, and on and on. As my mind has been racing, I remembered the book I just read by Linda Dillow. The name of it is "Calm My Anxious Heart" and there is a chapter dedicated especially to the 'What If s" that life throws at you. She encourages readers to truly give those over to God and to not let your mind race and worry about the things we have no control over. She says that God is the Blessed Controller of all things and we can put these circumstances and things at His feet and know that we don't need to worry about them anymore. Throughout the week, God has given me a peace that He knows my heart. A mother's heart that longs to know that nothing bad will happen to my child. He has also started giving me insight and wisdom on how to approach some of these hard topics that you really don't want to discuss with your child but you have to. What happened to the innocence of life and not having to worry about all these things? There are still moments of innocence that I will cherish everyday but I know that at other times we need to teach, be prepared, and to continue to pray for God's protection around William and each other. The 'What If's ' can get you down; we must believe that they are taken care of by God and treasure the here and now.

Dondra

My favorite time of year

I always enjoy october and the rest of the year with the holidays, family, and friends. This week we have been getting ready for our halloween party and William is so excited. We picked out a 'pumkin' (he says it so cute!) today and he can not wait to dress up like a pirate. He did tell me the other day "You know what month it is mommy? " and I said "what?" He said "it is october and your birthday is coming up. I promise I will buy you the remote control car you like at toys-r-us." I smiled and knew that he meant what he had said. You see, he knows all kinds of cars and especially remembers which one mommy likes such as my new jeep or the fj landcruisers and on and on. He makes me so proud when I see who he is. He is caring, giving, loving, and a little adventurous. These are the times I will remember always.

Dondra

Verse of the Week

I have always been one who really struggles with memorizing scripture verses. I would remember the verse but not the reference or vice versa. I have wanted to start teaching William scripture verses and relating them to the stories of the Bible. A friend of mine gave me the idea to start a memory verse box and have a card for each day of the week. I am amazed at how much he remembers and knows about the stories we have been reading. He is so cute when he wants to read me the story. He read them to me this afternoon and he mixes them all up...adam and eve in the boat with noah and all the animals; he loves the story of Abraham and Sarah and little Isaac. I am so excited to see how he is learning God's Word and it is also helping me (in small ways) remember those stories again. The next time you see him, you will definitely have to ask him about them. What a blessing it is!

Genesis 21:6 "God has brought me (or us) laughter!"

enjoy-dondra

A Daily Journal

I have recently seen some friends of mine create blogs and I decided it would be a great way to keep in touch with family and friends that are away. I also want to use it as a daily journal for myself and William. Ever since he was born, I have kept a journal or calendar of what we did each day. Well...as you would guess, the days get busy and sometimes I don't get a chance to record what fun thing we did that day or what amazing thing he said to me. I hope you enjoy this...here is a glimpse into our lives.

Dondra