Joyful Noise!: December 2004

Santa's Packing

Tres can hardly stand it! He is ready to open presents. We told him that Christmas is almost here... that Santa was busy packing his sleigh now! We will be going to Mom and Dad's tomorrow. I will be going with Dad and Tonnie and Kayla shopping tomorrow for our annual shopping trip for mom. Then we will go to my mom's parent's house for Christmas Eve dinner. We eat and get caught up on relatives and play Dirty Santa. Then it's time to head home and play Santa! I'll post a ton after Christmas!

Nashville Christmas 2004
This is Tres opening his convertible plane/car/helicopter remote control toy from Grammy & Pop pop. He was so funny! He had to have every single piece of paper off of the box before he would look at it or play with it.

Nashville Christmas 2004
Here's Bryant after 'opening'--that's code for waving tissue paper around and trying to eat it-- his toy from Grammy and Pop pop!

I call this one Cutie-Bry... what a doll!

Here they both are playing around Grammy's Christmas tree. They loved that train!

Present Fun!

Last night, my friend Kelly came over for dinner and to exchange gifts. It was so good to see her. We hardly get to see each other lately just because of life and all the business it offers! While we ate, Tres (who had eaten earlier) came in from his room, so we let him open his gift from Aunt Kelly. She got him a Percy (from Thomas the Train collection) and it had a DVD. He of course had to open it and wanted to watch the DVD. He played with that for a while, then came back into the den and wanted another present. We let him open Bryant's present from Aunt Kelly since he was asleep. He opened that one (A truck that has popping balls in the bed), played with it for a few minutes and came back in. He came to me first, "Mommy, I want 'nother present." I told him he had to wait until Christmas, when Santa brought all his gifts. He moved over to Aunt Kelly. "Kelly (pronouncing it Ka-ye), I want 'nother present!" When that didn't work, he moved on his daddy, "Daddy! One more present please!" Of course that didn't work either, but it sure was a good try!

Nashville Christmas Visit

Well Christmas has officially begun! This past Friday, we had the company party for The Neighborhood Plumber at my mom and dad's house. It was so much fun! We had it catered from Dreamland with ribs and bar-b-que ( very traditional holiday foods) and banana pudding and baked beans and potato salad and chips and everything! It was great. We sang some Christmas songs and had door prizes.
After the party, I ran home and packed up our van, loaded up both boys (who had been bathed and pajamed!) with their blankets and silkies. I picked up Hank and we headed to Nashville to spend some with with my in-laws the Boemers. We got in around 1:30 am and headed to bed. The next day we had a late breakfast, then headed to the Opry Mills mall. It was my suggestion to go since I needed to get a few stocking stuffers, but man it was a bad idea! It was soooo crowded. About 10 times worse than the Galleria at Christmas. We stayed there for a couple of hours, then came back to the Boemers were we had leftover ribs from the Christmas party and chicken tortilla soup! Then we got the boys settled and Hank and I went to a local (less crazy) mall and did a little shopping.
On Sunday we got up and had pancakes and then exchanged gifts with the Boemers over coffee. That was nice! It was so much fun. Then we packed up the van and headed over to Hank's best friends house (Danny). We spent the afternoon with them and then headed home about 4:30. It was a LONG weekend, but it was fun. Now it's back to work until Friday!

Tonnie's Christmas Song

My sister Tonnie, wrote a gorgeous Christmas song last year. This year, I get to back her up and sing it at my parent's Christmas party. I love this song. It makes me cry. So I thought I would share the lyrics. God has blessed Tonnie with a tremendous talent, don't ya think?

Simply Amazed by You
by Tonnie Glover

Blown away by a baby
Men were drawn to Him by a star
They didn't see it then
That He's the Beginning and the End

The Author and Perfector of our faith was born
In a lonely manger of a barn
He didn't come in riches and glory
As some might have guessed
No, He came to this world as a baby
He was born to live a blameless life
He was born to serve... to save... to die

Swept away by the story
Where the angels sang His praise
He was barely in the world
And they could not wait to testify

That the Author and Perfector of our faith was born
In a lonely manger of a barn
He didn't come in riches and glory
As some might have guessed
He came to this world as a baby
He was born to live a blameless life
He was born to serve... to save... to die

He was planned to come and save us all
His purpose was very clear
Had he not been born of a virgin
We would not be here

Blown away by Your story
So amazed by Your love
The selflessness of You
Has overwhelmed my heart
I'm simply amazed by You
I'm simply amazed by You
I'm simply amazed by You
I'm simply amazed by You

**What a beautiful and heartfelt revelation this Christmas season. Thank you, Jesus.**

Baby Bryant! He always seems to find presents with his name on them... hmmm... a 9 month old that can read!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

I love this time of year! I love the lights, and the cold weather, and drinking hot cocoa, and falling asleep with the Christmas Tree as your nightlight! I love talking to my son Tres about what Santa is going to bring him! I love how he tells me just about every day that Santa is on his way. I love how yesterday, he was eating a cupcake and said, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" I just love this time of year! I enjoy shopping and wrapping... I like finding gifts that I know people will love! I like putting on red or green and going to a Christmas party! I love thinking about Jesus as a baby! I just love this time of year! I can't wait to see my boys on Christmas morning opening gifts excitedly! I can't wait to give my husband the special present I have planned this year! I can't wait to read the Christmas story on Christmas morning. I just can't wait! Merry Christmas, everyone!

This was last week! I still can't believe I have 2 in diapers and high chairs at once! But I wouldn't change anything to save my live!

This was the night I watched Luke and Sierra! I wish the picture was in focus... but this was when they were all getting sleepy! I made a big pallet and popped some popcorn. Then we watched 'Home on the Range.' We had a really good time!

Bug-B-Gone!

Has it really been a full week since I've been able to post? We have all been down with some sort of stomach virus. In fact, the baby (Bryant) is still battling it. My mom called me after I had been at work only a few minutes and told me he threw up his breakfast. And when I went to check on him at lunch, he had had such a nasty diarrhea diaper that I had to wipey him down really good, and change his clothes. I was tempted to bath him, but ran out of time. It was gross... as a lot of things in this past week have been! We have been woken up with throw up in one of the boys beds 4 nights out of 7! I was happy to get back to work today, just to escape the constant laundry and lysol! No joke, I used 2 full cans this past week!
On an up note... now all our Christmas presents are wrapped and the house stayed relatively clean! We are gearing up for Christmas. We have my company party this Friday night, then we head out of town the same night to have Christmas with Hank's parents in Nashville. Then we head home for a short week of work and then Christmas! I can't believe it is already here! Next year, I won't be able to put presents under the tree before Christmas morning. Tres goes over and asks, "My presents under the tree, momma?" And even though, all his gifts are wrapped and ready, I tell him no that Santa will be bringing them on Christmas eve! Since we are spending the night at my parent's house on Christmas eve and opening gifts there, I don't think he'll notice! Anyway, I'm just glad to be back into our normal routine!

Babysitter Extraordinaire!

Well, I'm not sure yet if I've bitten off more than I can chew, but I will have some visitors tonight. My niece Sierra and my nephew Luke (both Tonnie's kids) are coming over to play tonight while their parents have a date. I think I can handle this for a number of reasons: 1- I am an adult and should be able to. 2- Bryant goes down at 7pm. 3- Sierra is nearly 6 and can 'help' me. And last but not least, 4- I have a wooden spoon and I'm not afraid to use it! So I will be taking some pictures of the kids tonight to put on my blog. I haven't been able to spend a ton of time with them lately just because of the hectic pace of life. But I am looking forward to it! Especially with Sierra. Surrounded by boys, I love to have a girlie-girl to hang out with occasionally. I am going to fix some pizza and hot dogs and fries and let them have a picnic. Then hopefully let the boys play and let Sierra help me do some wrapping. I'm really looking forward to it! We are also planning to see the Alabaster parade tomorrow. And later in the day, Tres and I will help my sister Jennie start her Christmas shopping. I think it should be a fun weekend! Hectic... but fun just the same! I love this time of year... lots of family time... pretty decorations everywhere... and it finally gets cold enough to put on a coat!

(This is what we mailed to our family and close friends. I wanted to share it with my blog family!)

December 2004

Another year has come and gone in the blink of an eye, or so it seems! We are now a family of four. Our biggest news of the year arrived on April 2, 2004 at 4:42 pm. Bryant Steven Boemer weighed in at 6 lbs, 7 oz. He came into this world screaming… and it didn’t stop for 3 months! Yes, our sweet little one had colic as well as reflux and continual ear infections. He got tubes in both ears at 3 months, and became a different child! He is now 8 months old. He crawls, waves, claps, dances, says momma and dada and what could pass for brother. He loves to smile and laugh… but most of all, the child loves to eat! What a blessing he is to our family.

Tres turned 2 on September 17, 2004. He had a superhero birthday party at the park. He is a talker. Where most 2 year olds make 3-4 word sentences, Tres can put a 7-8 word
sentence together no problem. His favorite things are Thomas the Train, Buzz Lightyear, Mickey Mouse, and of course his daddy! What a beautiful relationship my boys have with their daddy!

Hank had a big year as well! In early October, while playing on the church softball team he tore his ACL. We had plans to go to Disney World the week of Halloween, so he put surgery off until November. Tres really enjoyed his first trip to Disney. At first he was hesitant with all the life-size character, but he soon warmed up to them! He loved riding all the rides and seeing all the ‘magic!’

Hank came through his surgery fine, and has been in physical therapy ever since. He was just recently released from his brace. God had used this injury to make me appreciate my wonderful husband, and how much he helps me out in our day-to-day routine!

I have had a blessed year! I have to say, the high point for me was my little Bryant. A close second was seeing the wonder in Tres’s eyes when he was in Disney. God is good.

God bless you all during the holidays and every day of the year!

Hank, Jamie, Tres, and Bryant Boemer

P.S. You can keep up with us on our website http://kidsrealityandmore.blogspot.com/

Here is Tres and Bryant's annual picture with Santa. It was interesting! Tres is actually sitting in Hank's lap and Santa is pushing Hank out of the picture. Tres told Santa he wanted a Buzz Lightyear spaceship!