I Am Honored . . .

to have received my first ever blogger award, compliments of my friend Tammy, over at Enjoying Our Journey!  Tammy and I have much in common . . . we are both long time military wives (though her dh is now retired).  We are both mamas to five-- big and little (soon to be six for Tammy).  And we both brought home treasures from China last spring.  We spent the fall encouraging each other when my dear Teddi, and Tammy's sweet little Madi underwent palate surgery just a couple of weeks apart.  Thank you Tammy for the award, I am honored!

Now I get to pass on the award . . . . and I am choosing . . . drumroll please . . . . .  . . . .

my new blogger friend Linn (and her fill in blogger, husband Dwight) at A Place Called Simplicity!

If you have never visited this blog, get yourself a cup of coffee, or hot cocoa, or in my case some sweeeeeet tea and some M&Ms.  What I'm saying is, get comfy . . . and then read what God has done in the lives of a great big family who live in the mountains of Colorado, in A Place Called Simplicity!  Hop on over there right now!  Really!  Get a look at the sweetness just home from Uganda . . . look to the sidebar and read their Wild Adventures Parts 1 thru 7 . . . you will be amazed, truly amazed.  

Linn and Dwight, I award you this One Lovely Blog Award because, simply put:  Reading your blog does my heart much good!  Thank you that every single time I visit, I am inspired . . . I laugh . . .  sometimes I cry . . . and always, always I see God!  Love you guys!

(Dwight, sorry the award is a little prissy, if I had any clue about such things I would manly it up a bit for you, but as we've discussed previously -- I have no clue when it comes to blogger awards.  Just pretend it's actually hand hewn wood instead of a tea cup with flowers, okay?)

Blessings from my happy nest ~

Tina

Our Christmas Nest . . .

So proud of my dollar store stockings.  

Prouder yet that there are SEVEN!

(Thank you Kim for the inspiration)

Theadora Fu Xiao prepares to 

celebrate her "first" Christmas . . .

it was a sweet one!

Flit and Grinner find it hard to contain the excitement!

No snow at The Nest . . . except for these beautiful 

pictures Bryce brought from Spokane.

That my friends is a Christmas tree

decorated by the Creator himself!

Teddi received her very own stocking 

from Grandma Winder, so proud.

We joyfully added it to the stocking line-up

. . .  we've kept Grandma busy over the years!

Christmas Eve, after church and dinner, we 

had our "Happy Birthday Jesus" party . . .

We've started a new tradition of "bringing" a gift to

Jesus.  This year it was a donation to charity:water

(To give a quick plug, 100% of all donations to charity:water

go directly to providing clean drinking water to those in need.

A $20.00 donation provides clean drinking water for one

 person for 20 years.)  

Water = life!

Teddi learns another tradition, opening new 

Grammy jammies on Christmas Eve . . .

Thank you Grandma, you did sew good!

Grinner jumps in wearing his Grammy jammies.

Big brother reads before bedtime.

Silent night . . .

turns to noisy morn, as Teddi learns to "do" stockings.

Chocolate before 8:00 a.m.--

 a girl could get used to this!

Another sewing grandma made new blankies--

thank you Grandma Suz!

Teddi got ladybugs, C-U-T-E!

Once everything was opened inside, 

Flit and Grinner had one more big surprise outside . . .

('cause that's what happens when mama gets on Cra*g's List!)

Christmas morning in Texas . . . a balmy 70 degrees,

perfect swing set weather.

Flit was a happy girl!  Thank you Baba 

for the late night Christmas Eve set-up!

Back inside to feed babies with sister.

For Christmas dinner we were joined by my cousin's son

Aaron and his wife Michelle.  Aaron's mama, Patti, and I, grew up 

in Michigan together.  We both married military men, and then we 

had our first babies (Bryce and Aaron) three days apart.  

Now Bryce and Aaron are both men in blue.  Aaron and Michelle 

happen to be stationed here in SA with us, so we actually

have family to share special times with--a sweet blessing!

We were also joined by Taylor's fiance, Frankie, and 

by Frankie's mom Olga, and his sister Kathy 

(all soon to be "family" too)-- but I didn't get a picture of them.  

So sorry guys, we sure enjoyed your company!

My handsome oldest bird Bryce . . .

My Taylor bird, with Frankie the Fiance.

(Taken during our trip to the Riverwalk the night after Christmas.)

My middle bird Brady, with his new baby,

a long awaited Fender guitar . . .

purchased last night, partially with Christmas $, and 

partially with his very own workin' boy income!

Yes, he's happy!

The Christmas Queen "wraps up" the evening in her

new robe from Olga, Frankie and Kathy (too sweet)!

 She is wearing jewels compliments of Grandma & Papa . . .

 and lucious Hello Kitty chapstick.  

The chapstick (also from Olga and family) may go 

down in history as the favorite "first" 

Christmas gift--along with

 her kitty-cat keyboard.  Simple pleasures!

Blessings from our nest to yours!

(Thank you dear friend Erin for the photo,

taken after the Christmas Eve service,

we appreciate you!)

A final thought from my little flip calender (thank you for sticking out this long post) . . .

"I do hope your Christmas

has had a little touch of Eternity

in among the rush and pitter patter

and all.  It always seems such a mixing

of this world and the next -- but that

after all is the idea."  

~Evelyn Underhill

Blessings from my nest . . . so thankful for the Eternal reason for the season!

Tina

Unto Us A Child Is Born

Unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor,  The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

In the words of my dear friend Bonnie, Jesus was "God confined to baby skin."  

A powerful baby born to die, that we might live forever.  Thank you Father God for your indescribable gift!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Merry Christmas from our nest to yours ~

Tina & Bryan and family

A Little Comic Relief

I was stressing about all that needed to be done . . . when what to my wondering eyes should appear . . . my very own comic relief team!

Thank you Flit and Grinner for the attitude change!  Thank you Father God for once again speaking to my heart through my children.  I'm done sweatin' the small stuff, and back to celebrating the reason for the season.  Hope you are too!

Christmas blessings from my crazy nest ~

Tina

My Nest is FULL!

Late Saturday night our oldest bird flew home to the nest, from Spokane.  We all went to welcome him home at 11:30 p.m., including  pajama clad Grinner and Flit--who were very excited to say the least!

Waiting on brother . . . he's getting close . . .

There he is!  Grinner greets him with a 

flying hug!

Mama and Teddi, so excited to see Bryce!

Happy big, little sister!

Grin, Grinner, grin!

The joyful seven at the airport,

pretty cheery for midnight!

 (Thank you Frankie the Fiance for taking pictures.)

Wrapping up the night with push-ups at 1:00 a.m.!

Blessings from my full (and smilin') nest~

Tina

Seven Months of Sweetness!

It's been seven months today since we first met our littlest bird in China.

We have gone from, "Are You My Mother?" to "The Best Nest" . . .

On a late May day in China, our little bird spread her wings . . .

and oh how she flies!  (In her favorite lavender "formal" and her ladybug wings.)

I love these words penned by Henry Ward Beecher ~

"You are not called to be a canary in a cage.  You are called to be an eagle, and to fly sun to sun, over continents."

Sun to sun, over continents . . .  that she has done.  We are so proud of you Teddi.  You are our strong little bird!

Blessings from my "proud mama bird" nest ~

Tina

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

These pictures are actually from the beginning of December.  I'm trying to catch up . . .

Four years ago Bryan was deployed for Christmas.  I didn't want to "deal with" a real tree alone, so I  bought an artificial pre-lit tree . . . which we have used ever since.  This year Bry said it was time to go back to the old way, the REAL way, the good smelling way.  We both grew up in Michigan, the land of Christmas trees, and our families always had real trees. 

Let me tell you, cutting a Christmas tree in a dusty Texas field wasn't quite the same as the snowy Michigan treks for trees that I remember, but it's real, and it smells good!  And we made a sweet family memory with our new girl in tow, and that's what matters.

Let the search begin . . .

Brogan's pick . . . "Ummmm, no Brogie, a little too big".

Teddi and Taylor take a closer look at something a bit smaller  .  . .

Teddi's pick . . . a little more realistic than Brogie's.

The search continues . . . This is as close to a "One horse open sleigh as it gets!"  Thank you Brady for the ride . . . 

The girls split from the guys, in search of the perfect tree . . .

After a half hour of walking (in circles, in dust, and warmth that was too much for the clothes we had piled on in hopes of a cooler day) we found a tree that we could all agree on.  Sweet family memories being made here, remember .  . . A couple of times we had to remind ourselves to be sweet. . . six people  making one decision, whew.

Dad instructs Brady from the "How to Cut a Tree Perfectly" manual, written by Dad -- of course!

Timber  . . .

Good work Brady!  Teddi helps Baba load it up . . .

Here we go  . . .  time to pay for the tree, and buy a nice cold Coke for the trip home, hot and dusty.  Definitely not cocoa drinking weather.

What do you do when you are four, and Dad and Mom are taking too long to get the tree ready to decorate? 

If you are The Grinner, you make a large purple explanation point on a piece of paper, you hold it up, and do what you do best, you GRIN!  Point taken, Grinner!

Finally, it's time to decorate!  "This is how you do it, Ted."

Sweet girl hangs a special ladybug ornament with her name on it.  It was sent by one of our Zhuhai group friends last Christmas, and it adorned our tree while we were waiting.  What a joy to pull it out this year and see Teddi hang it up!  Thank you Karen!

The finished product, covered in memories.

Underneath the tree, the greatest gift of all baby Jesus, along with our special gift from God, Theadora Fu Xiao.  

Merry Christmas Teddi girl, we're so happy you're home!

Blessings from my thankful Christmas nest ~

Tina