I'll Be Home for Christmas

Imagine the excitement and hustle and bustle on that day. Jesus was coming to Mary and Martha's house. I wonder what thoughts went through their heads..." Is everything clean?...Did I make the bed?...Do I have enough food?" I hate to admit it but I tend to be more of a Martha. Busy with preparations, almost never sitting down to enjoy the company. Wondering when should I offer dessert. I was reminded through an amazing word from Pastor Nathan last week that all of that does not matter. We should be comfortable, like Mary, to welcome Jesus in our home at any and all times. He is there whether we believe it or not. He sees the dirty laundry both literally and figurately. Nathan also reminded us of the passage where Jesus is the gardener and prunes the vines in our lives. I want to look at my own life, especially during this time of year, and know that Jesus is pruning away at things in my life so that He can feel more comfortable. Is Jesus comfortable at my home? Will He be home for Christmas? I pray He is for Christmas and every day.

Thru the Lens

Rhyming Words

here is the setting: William and I are driving in the Jeep to Target. I am asking numerous questions about his day at school and what he had learned. This is the conversation that happened next:

William: " Mommy, I got in trouble for saying a bad word."

Me: " What was the bad word? You are not going to get in trouble; I just need to know what was said."

William: " I said shack, Mommy."

Me: " William, that isn't a bad word"

William: " Oh, I mean I said shit"

Me: trying very hard not to laugh or drive off the road " Tell me what your rhyming words were"

William: " Sit...Hit..."

Me: " Yes that does rhyme with those words but that is a word that we don't say"

William: " Okay Mommy"

Needless to say, I didn't think that 3 weeks into Kindergarten I would be confronted with a bad word situation. I emailed his teacher to tell her that we do not use that word in our home and that it was purely accidental. She emailed me back and said she completely understood and that another child had done it in her afternoon class. I think she is going to change her rhyming words for that lesson!

Starting Kindergarten

The emotions were at an all-time high at the begining of this week. It was the first day of Kindergarten. I awoke to the sound of William saying " It's the first day of school" It was 6:40AM! We have had a great week experiencing the excitement of walking to school, backpack in tow. The nervousness of having to leave him at school and him saying "I will have a great day!" The wonder of learning where to go in the mornings before class starts. Where to be to pick-up at 11:00 AM. The tired and weary feelings of having to do this EVERY morning except Saturday and Sunday. We have survived with flying colors and I am so proud of him. He is enjoying learning about so many different and unique things about Miss Jenkins' classroom. The rules, following directions, listening to the teacher, understanding the color charts for discipline, making sure he doesn't lose any "teeth" for talking when the teacher is talking. I have prayed for this for a long time and I have had such comfort in knowing that Miss Jenkins was hand selected for our boy. What a great way to start off the year!

DisneyWorld

there are so many things to say about our trip but this sums it up...William had a blast and thought it was really cool to meet Jack Sparrow. Watch his face...it is priceless!

Jedi William turns 6

the invitation reads: In a galaxy far, far away on the 28th of August a baby was born. The Jedi Council named him William. During his 6 years, Young Jedi William has learned the ways of the Force. He requests the presence of Young Jedi to complete their training...

In the Pyle household right now, it is all about Star Wars. Can you picture it? Light sabers in tow, boys (one 6 year old and one well let's just say 30 something year old) fighting everywhere. One is the good guy. The other the bad guy. The Princess is trying to cook dinner with all the battling going on. It seemed only fitting to have a Star Wars party for William's 6th birthday. I looked up some things on-line and we decided to decorate his room as the dark side. Dark curtains covered the windows. Glowing stars hung on the ceiling reminding us we were in a galaxy far, far away. As on all planets, you must have rocks. The rocks on the dark side were special rocks that glow in the dark so that you can find them better.

As each guest arrived, the Jedi-in-training had their picture made in front of a Star Wars poster, light sabers, and with the Chosen One for the day. The guest received Star Wars coloring sheets as they made their way into the galaxy. Once all the Jedi trainees were here, we tested their skills so that they could move on to be successful Jedi. They needed to test their hearing, their sight, and their smell. They had to guess what each sound was: a gun being released, a toy kitty saying meow very softly, a bell. They were given objects to identify: a picture of a chair, an oval, handcuffs. Lastly, they had to test their sense of smell. They had to identify dog food, coffee, and cinnamon. Each Jedi passed and were awarded for their skills and talent.

William enjoyed opening his gifts from his friends and family. Much to his liking he received lots and lots of Legos, Star Wars ones at that! After opening gifts, we had lunch and cake. Mawmaw and I had prepared a big cake to be a planet and then smaller cupcakes to resemble other planets like Earth. He was so proud to blow out his one, big Darth Vader candle and everyone sing Happy Birthday. We had a very successful party and remember...May the Force be with you!

Growing Up

Rewind back to the spring of this year. The staff of our church (my palms still get a little sweaty when I say that because I am actually included in the staff) had our monthly face-to-face meeting. Nathan wanted to do something a little different than we normally do. As a church we had a lot coming up in the spring and summer that needed prayer. We started the meeting off by going to each area that was represented and praying for the people in that area. For example, we went into the worship center and prayed over Robby and the youth, Tim and the band, Nathan and his leadership over the church. We headed over to the brick building and started praying for Heather, Christy, and myself. Each time of prayer had been very meaningful and purposeful. Praying not only for the spiritual needs but also the physical, emotional, and mental. Each person had specific needs and I was no exception. As it came my turn, I asked for prayer for William as he starts school in the fall. I will never forget the prayers that were offered up on his behalf (and mine as well). His teacher was prayed for. His friends. His attitude. His learning. His salvation. His heart. My attitude. My learning and letting go. My peace.

Fast-forward to the middle of August and whether I want to believe it or not, school is just around the corner. I am struggling with so many emotions. The excitement of buying his new backpack and lunch box. The anxiety of the unknown. The heart of a mother that wants her child to know that everything will be okay. He will make friends. He will succeed. He will learn how to handle himself in unusual situations. The thought of him being in an environment that is not as "safe" as I would like. With all the struggles, come more and more prayers. With the prayers, comes confidence that he is going to be okay. He is going to do well.

He has grown in so many ways this past year. In his education, he has surpassed anything I could have ever imagined. He is writing his letters very well. He is spelling words and remembering them. He is reading. He knows around 40-45 sight words. When he starts a task, he wants to finish it to the end. He is motivated. He is a self-starter. He is determined. He is a caring, loving boy that thinks of others before himself.

I am proud to say that my son is starting Kindergarten in two weeks and I am sure this is just the beginning of him growing up...

Famous Quotes by William...#1

Tim was working out in the gargage and he asked William "Is my face red?" William proudly said "Yes...it is red, red like a pepparoni."

William is always talking about what he wants to be when he grows up. This conversation usually takes place in the Jeep as we are running errands and he continues to change his mind on what he wants to be. On this particular day, he says he wants to be a chef. "Mommy, do you want to find me a restaurant to work at? What about Saltgrass? Olive Garden?" I said " Well, William, you could have your own restaurant and call it Willy's" He said " No mommy. I will call it the Treehouse Panini Grill. The kids can play in the tree house while the adults talk." Genius!!!

Costa Rica

There is so much to say about our trip and time spent there that I wanted to share my "favorites"...



* William's first plane ride and him putting his hands in the air and saying "Wow this is fun" as we took off

* Seeing Jake, Dodie, and Hannah at the airport

* the local travel accomodations and traffic

* the blue, aqua water so clear that you can see for miles

* the cool breeze as we layed out on the beach

* breakfast and lunch with the 'monos' or monkeys

* being in a rainforest

* special bonding time with family



Our time spent there will forever be in our minds and hearts...

the 100 club

Several weeks ago as I approached William's classroom where he spends Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, there was a big board outside the door. The board read " Congratulations to our 100 club members!" Below was the name of 8 boys and William's name was one of them. He proudly presented me with his sheet of numbers from 1-100. He very enthusiastically told me that he had done it all my himself...with no help...and everything was correct. The order in which they go. The way the were written. Perfect! I was so proud of him and what he had accomplished.

The Face of Change Part 2

There have been alot of things happening in the Pyle house since I last posted. The biggest change keeps coming with William. He has lost a total of 7 teeth! Can you believe it? His current diet is yogurt and ice cream! (just kidding) He is keeping a record of who is pulling the teeth: the dentist=1; daddy=3; mommy=3; and William=0. It has been a joy to watch him grow and change over the past several months. Don't you just love that smile?! I know I do!

Holiday Pictures

Happy New Year!

The Pyle family has a tradition of getting together at New Year's and this year was our year to host. We had a great time! William was so excited Uncle Billy was coming to his house. (and the others of course) We all came together on Tuesday of that week and were able to spend some enjoyable times visiting, laughing, and playing games like UNO. The guys spent hours visiting Cabelas and Bass Pro while the girls went to the mall and did some shopping of our own. The greatest times were gathering around our dining room table and getting down and dirty playing UNO. William was the funniest of all...wanting to play his draw 2's and draw 4's. We always knew when he had those cards because he would start laughing. His primary victim was Aunt Vivian but she took it in stride. Another family tradition is the funny underwear that get passed around each year (don't ask!). Last year, Tim had received them and we decided to change things up a little this year. Instead of just the guys getting them, we decided it was the girls turn. I cautiously and carefully hid it in my gift and who got the pleasure of opening it up...none other than my mother-in-law! It was hilarious! (pictures will follow) We had a wonderful time bringing in the new year and only wish more of the 'young' people were here. We missed you terribly.

Happy New Year!

the Christmas Season (Part 2)

The excitment and anticipation had finally come to an all time high on Christmas eve. Mawmaw and Pawpaw were with us and we were buzzing around the house getting everything ready. We all got dressed for our first Christmas eve service and were very delighted to see all our friends and especially the decorations...it was a Charlie Brown Christmas. What a unique service for children and the young at heart. There was music (courtesy of Tim Bach) and what a great time had by all. Jingle Bells...Rocking around the Christmas Tree...Santa Claus is Coming to Town...Away in the Manager. These are all William's favorites. After the service and the very long dinner (according to William), it was finally time to open our presents. William went first and was excited and joyful about each one. My favorite moment was when he opened his chef's hat and apron and said "this is what I have always wanted." The presents included computer games for his LeapPad computer, soccer goals, pajamas, books, and a new bicycle helmet. As it was our turn to open presents, he was such a gentleman and helped each of us tear into ours and with the same anticipation of his own gifts, could not wait until we opened them and found out what they were. He specifically picked out a great spatula for his mommy with a snowflake on it! I love it! As we prepared for bed, the questions kept coming "Are we going to hear the reindeer? Do we have the milk for the cookies? (which he wanted to put out at 9:00 that morning!) Will he know which stocking is mine?" It was great to experience his excitment and even more sweet to watch him write a note to Santa and then to see that Santa wrote him back. (aka pawpaw) Christmas morning we awoke to hear his voice saying " it's morning, it's morning...let's look in our stockings." He found a big tool box with all the tools inside, a huge box of legos that make a truck, trailer, and boat. We had such a special time and it is forever in my memory.

the Christmas Season (Part 1)

Luke 2:11 says " Today a Savior is born to you, Christ the Lord." This was our focus verse for the month of December. On one particular day while doing errands and Christmas shopping, William said to me "Mommy, I know what Christmas really means. It's not about the presents...it about Jesus' birthday! How old is Jesus?" What a great opportunity to talk about Jesus, His birth, His life and what He means to me and what He can mean to William.

We celebrated many different ways throughout the month. William helped me as we decorated the house with the great colors of red, green, and white. He took such joy in helping me adorn the chandelier in the dining room with ornaments or set out the nativity scene. He specifically and gently placed each ornament on the tree in just the right spot all the while advising his daddy and I where ours should go. As a family we had several movie nights, lighting the fire, and enjoying fresh popcorn to the sounds of the Polar Express or Charlie Brown Christmas. We took our decorating skills to a new level as we put together our first gingerbread house. It was a very labor intensive project with the icing (keeping it damp, setting it up, and then drying for hours), the trimmings, and deciding which side was his and which side was mine. William did a great job with his side of the roof but kept telling me "your side is prettier mommy." He is my 'little chef' as I like to call him and we couldn't get to the baking and assembly of all the goodies quick enough. He helped me bake 3 batches of pumpkin bread (each time breaking all the eggs) and putting together his Christmas trail mix of peanuts, m&m's, honeycombs, marshmallows, and raisins for his teachers. His excitement about giving was truly contagious! We also had the opportunity to see Santa and Mrs. Claus as they dropped by the Gaylord Texan. What a great experience! William decided to write Santa a letter and it read:
"Merry Christmas Santa! I want: webkins, airplanes, legos and a gold flute. from: William Pyle" His list wasn't that long but I still don't know where the gold flute came from! (surprisingly, he received one from mawmaw from costa rica but that's another post!) We made some great memories and we had a very special, relaxed holiday season.