THE FIRST WEEK OF THE YEAR

Our Christmas was really nice. We had my parents, Mike's parents, Mary, and Noah here on Christmas Day. It was so fun and relaxing. We played games and ate and Skyped with Trevor and Jessie. Our church service was so good.

I made some hor d'oeuvres to have after church so that we could eat a little later in the day. I enjoy cooking and fixing stuff ahead of time so things are ready to enjoy.

We ate Christmas dinner about 4:00. I put the potatoes in the crockpot in the morning to cook all day. I love to "bake" potatoes like this because it frees up your oven and you really don't have to even think about them.

Mike grilled 7-8 pounds of steak. They were so perfectly tender and juicy. They were seasoned just right so no steak sauce was needed. The other sides were green beans casserole, caesar salad, roasted San Marzano tomatoes, and dinner rolls. For dessert I made a pumpkin and pecan pie. Mike's mom made a pound cake and peanut butter hershey kiss cookies. My mom made 2 cheesecake pies.

The week after Christmas was nice and relaxing. We didn't have anything on our agenda so we enjoyed all the down time. We didn't drive our van from Christmas Eve til Friday. We have been driving less and less. Most of our errands can be done on our afternoon walks. Our bank, post office, Trader Joe's/Whole Foods, Walgreens, Metro station, and library are within a 10-15 minute walk so there is always somewhere to walk.

My sister wanted to go over to D.C. so on Thursday we caught the subway over to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.


We ended the day at the White House. It was cold out but it didn't keep us from enjoying being together. On the walk back home from the subway we stopped at Starbucks for a treat to warm us up.

New Year's Eve was a nice, relaxing day. We ate subs and watched the ball drop. It was cool to be on Eastern Standard time again. Shelby and Abby tried to stay up but they had stayed up late the night before so they crashed around 11pm. Mike took a little nap while the news was on but woke up to watch the last 30 min of 2011 with me.

Our New Year service was a time of reflection as well as looking forward to 2012. We invited our friends Krisstal and her son, Elias, over for lunch. I am looking forward to digging in and establishing relationships this year.

We started our lessons on Monday and this week has been a very fruitful one. There has been lots of good discussions about explorers and Hippocrates. There were many games of Uno. Plain old Uno. Love it. Music classes and Choir started back this week.

We have goals in place for 2012 and lots of grace to extend to ourselves and others. The most exciting thing for 2012 will be, by far, The Wedding. Gosh, we can hardly wait.

CHRISTMAS QUESTIONS

I saw this over at Starr Circus and couldn't resist playing along. So, here goes...

1. egg nog or hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate. Specifically Trader Joe's Hot Cocoa

2. does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Wrapped in a different wrapping paper for each child

3. colored lights on tree/house or white?

We had white lights until a couple of years ago now we have colored LED and I love them

4. do you hang mistletoe?

We have a kissing ball made of mistletoe that we got from North Pole, Alaska. I love it.


5. when do you put your decorations up?

Weekend after Thanksgiving or the next week depending on what we have going on.


6. what is your favorite holiday dish?

All of it. I just love it all.


7. favorite holiday memory as a child?

So many...but I loved going to my Nanny and Granddaddy's with all my cousins. We had such a fun time. Also, going for a drive to see all the Christmas lights.

8. when and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

It really wasn't a big deal. We did Santa but Jesus was at the forefront with church and our Christmas play. Even at school there was a focus on Christ.

9. do you open a gift on Christmas eve?

When I was growing up we opened new pjs on Christmas Eve and we have carried that tradition on with our kids

10. how do you decorate your Christmas tree?

No theme. Almost every ornament on our tree has significance from our childhood, our children, or our marriage. We have another small tree for Jesse ornaments.

11. snow! love it or dread it?

LOVE IT!! I hope it snows here soon.

12. can you ice skate?

::snort:: Yeah, in my dreams.

13. do you remember your favorite gift?

I got a boom box in the 6th grade and thought I was hot stuff. I loved that thing to death...literally. When I finally got rid of it there were buttons missing and it looked pretty ragged.

14. what's the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Jesus and family

15. what is your favorite holiday dessert?

Pretty much all of them:) My Mom makes a great cheesecake that I love.

16. what is your favorite holiday tradition?

Spending time with my family. We go to breakfast on Christmas Eve. Reading and talking about Jesus.

17. what tops your tree?

A star made of cardboard and aluminum foil that Mike made. You would think it was made of solid gold when we pull it out of the box every year and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

18. which do you prefer: giving or receiving?

I love to give gifts. It's so fun.

19. candy canes: yuck or yum?

Yum!!!

20. favorite Christmas show?

Do I have to pick one???? White Christmas, Christmas with the Kranks, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, The Nativity....and more. I can't choose just one.

21. saddest Christmas song?

I'll be Home for Christmas by Josh Groban

22. what is your favorite Christmas song?

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing


Merry Christmas!!!!!!

12-17-11

We've had lots going on the past couple of weeks so I wanted to get a blog post done so that I wouldn't forget. Shelby was in a Christmas concert with the Arlington's Children's Choir. We had a silent auction and bake sale to raise money for the Choir. Mike and I volunteered so we were outside handing out programs and directing people before the show started.
The concert was so good. We had great seats because Abby and Mrs. Donna, a friend from our church, saved them for us.


We headed down south last Friday to be in a parade with Mike's parents. My parents came down to be with my brother's family on Sunday because my niece and nephew were baptized. I wish I had been able to stay and be there for their baptism but we had to be back at our church for Sunday service. I can't express what a blessing they are.



We wanted to get our Christmas picture out of the way before leaving. These are some of the outtakes and they crack me up. The girls are making the funniest faces. Can you tell they were so over the picture taking. They were just ready to be done.


This one was funny because Mike was trying to get into the picture and he just couldn't get down in the floor fast enough.

I am so in love with our tree this year. It is so full and pretty. It was funny that we got such a great tree considering that when we went to Home Depot to get it there was a ton of people there. The trees were still tied up with string because all the ones that were open were already picked over. I pulled my trusty fold-up scissors from Smoky Mtn Knife Works out of my purse and snipped those strings. We took one look at it and said, "Looks good." With that and standing it line to get it trimmed, a trip through the netting thingy, paying for it and strapping it to the top of the van, it came home with us.

Tomorrow at 5pm will be my first Open House as a Pastor's wife. I thought I would be nervous but I'm not. I don't know if I'm naive or what but I'm so excited. I've done all my shopping, prep work, and pretty much all the cleaning. I hope to take pictures so I'll post about it this week. I just wish my Pastor's Wives Book Study friends could be here to enjoy it with me. They just don't know how much I miss them and our time together.

Hope y'all have a great day of worship tomorrow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

This is Ms. Clarice's* tree and it is over 40 years old.
It is the same kind of tree my Mamaw and Papaw had when I was growing up.
(*Shelby's piano teacher)

This week has been a whirlwind of activity with the aftermath of Christmas and the after holiday blahs. My parents got into town Wednesday after the threat of being snowed in at my brother's house. They were blessed with over a foot of snow starting Christmas night.

We have enjoying their company just spending time together. We were able to go to the Nativity Museum at the Upper Room Chapel downtown. They have over 100 creche from around the world. We were also able visit the Oryland Hotel to see all the changes they have made since the flood and the beautiful Christmas decorations.

Last night was our 4th annual New Year's Bash at Marvin and Sonia's house and it did not disappoint. We laughed, talked, played, laughed, ate, and laughed until almost 6 this morning.

Like 2008, 2009, and 2010, 2011 was rang in with a look back at God's blessings and a look forward to the blessed hope we have in the future. As we sat around the table playing games I was reminded of some of the struggles we have all endured this year. Some have been resolved and some we are carrying over to the new year.

I was also reminded of the awesome favor and grace we have been given that will flow endlessly over 2011. That thought should make us want to give Jesus our laud and honor. He truly is my Rock and my Shield. My ever present Help, my Comfort, my Deliverer.

Welcome, 2011! I'm ready for you.

CONFESSION TIME

What we did on Christmas Eve

We went for our annual Christmas Eve breakfast
at Cracker Barrel and then........


See these books?

They are gifts from the birthday party for the girls in March.
The party where they requested books for presents so
they could give them to charity.

See this bag of books?
This is the same bag of books wrapped up for Christmas
ready to be given to kids at the Children's Hospital.
On Christmas Eve.
They are only 9 months late.
I feel like a lump for not taking them sooner.
Don't judge me.

It wouldn't be that bad but Mike and the girls would ask
periodically when they were going to get delivered and I would
say, "Soon! I'm going to do it this week."
Well, now it's done and we were excited to take them.
See those bags that the girls are holding in the picture above?
They were given a gift for bringing all those gifts.
The lady at the front desk was so sweet.

After we left the hospital we went to the Adventure Science Center.
The people in the photo up there~they make me smile.

We left there and went to the movies.
Then, home to wait for Trev and Jessie.
Wow, I feel better now that I got that off my chest:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday night was Shelby's choir performance. You can only see a little bit of her because her director is standing right in front of her.

Abby and Shelby did a small part in the reading of the Christmas Story at church. They sang some sweet Christmas carols.

After church we went to Pei Wei with Trevor and Jessie. Abby took these pictures. I'm not sure what Trevor is doing in the background.

Mike's Christmas light necklace was a hit. Everyone wanted to know where he got it. We had some beautiful snow falling all through church and all afternoon. It really was a wintry, nice day.

Shelby looking at the baby Jesus at Walk Thru Bethlehem.

They were trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE NOODLES

December 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello from the Kernodle household. We have had great and wonderful things happen this year but we have also had struggles and setbacks. We have uncertain and scary times. Through all the ups, downs, ins, and outs we have clung to the One that holds it all and is worthy of all glory and praise.

Mike is finally done with college this year. He turned in his last paper over a week ago and except for an exit exam he is completely done. He will graduate in May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Pastoral Ministries. It has been a long journey but the Lord has given him strength to finish strong. We are praying that He will direct us where to go from here. Mike, the girls and I traveled to Alaska this summer to visit the mission work up there. We met the Wallaces and fell in love with them and the church there. We will be meeting with Home Missions about possibly going to help that mission work. We are seeking the Lord’s will.

I have been chief cook and bottle washer. Trying to keep everyone in clean clothes and eating with clean forksJ Mike always says I am the manager of our household so that is what I’ve been doing. Supporting and loving my husband is my main priority but I fall short a lot. The Lord is really uprooting many lies from Satan that I have believed for a long time and replacing them with His Truth. To be honest it can be quite painful at times but it is so necessary for my growth in the Lord.

Trevor graduated from High School this year and Mike and I couldn’t have been prouder. He has been working at Chickfila for almost 4 years and most weeks he works full time. He loves music and plays bass for our praise band at church. He hasn’t decided about college yet.

Shelby is almost 10 and loves to read, sing, and play on the computerJ. She makes us laugh when she talks with all kinds of funny accents. She is learning how to do lots of things in the kitchen. She is in a choir for 9 to 13 year olds at the music school she attends. She has read all the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books and pretty much loves to read anything.

Abby is, well, Abby. I just got a text from my sister that said Abby didn’t want to eat breakfast there (Shelby and Abby are spending the night at her house) because Saturday is Pancake Day at our house and she didn’t want to miss it. I told my sister to tell her not to worry that we will have Pancake Sunday this week. Abby is almost 8 and keeps us on our toes. She marches to her own beat and we wouldn’t have it any other way. I wish you could see her when she wears her BIG, floppy hat and her Punky Brewster high tops to church.

This is a tiny bit of our lives over this past year and I wish we could sit and chat for hours with each one of you. We hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

THE STREETS ARE FILLED WITH CHRISTMAS CHEER

Today we did a little more Christmas shopping. Mike took the girls shopping for me and I took the girls shopping for me. Just kidding. I had to take something back that I bought for Mike. Lines were not too bad but the traffic was. It took us about 15 minutes to drive a little over a mile:P

We spent 2 hours at the pool and it was awesome!! I actually went down the HUGE water slide!

We are going to spend our evening eating Taco Soup and watching a Christmas movie.

IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

A few weeks ago, while decorating for Christmas, I pulled out a rug that my secret pal had given me last year.

I accidentally left it in the back of the car til after Christmas last year so this would be my first time using it. It had pretty ribbon wrapped around it so I just left it on and stored it away. When I cut the ribbon to put it down in the kitchen something fell out and landed in the floor.


It was a CD!!! I got a present!! And I love the CD!!!!











Merry Christmas to me!!! From my secret pal last year!!!

SLEIGH BELLS RING

I spent the day with my family. We didn't do anything special. We just hung out together.

Enjoying each others company. It was nice. It was easy.

It was unhurried. It was just what I needed. I love Christmas time.

IS IT JUST ME?????

Is it just me or are people more rude lately?

Usually I can just shrug or laugh off people's rudeness but lately it has gotten kind of ridiculous.

This morning Mike and I went grocery shopping. We got to see someone shoot another driver the bird, lots of horn honking, and a lady gave me attitude because HER shopping cart was blocking the aisle at Sam's.

Still I just smile and go on but honestly sometimes it's hard not to get snarky.

Last night we went to supper and the Christmas parade with my sister, bil, and Noah. I am not exaggerating when I say it took us almost an hour to drive about 2 miles. People were blowing their horns and almost hit us a couple of times. It was a little crazy.

We had a good time and the traffic was worth it just to hear Noah say "Thank you Holy Spirit" when the nice driver let us merge into their lane. And, the girls and Noah sang "The Twelve Days of Christmas" loud enough for my parents to hear in Maryland.

Oh well, I guess it's just me. Or maybe not.

Be nice!!

FABULOUS FRIDAY

The other day we made these Advent calendars. All of us made one and we put name tags on them out of scrapbooking paper.

Instead of rings like JOYS OF HOME used, I had some craft clips that have holes in them.

I have been trying to use up what I have and they turned out so cute.

It was fun! and easy!

We went and got our tree tonight. The house smells so wonderful!!! I love this time of year.

Busy weekend ahead~Christmas play practice, Christmas play, Christmas Sunday School party, church~all enjoyable things~fun stuff.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

THE YUCKS

The visit with Mike's Dad and Mom went real good. It was nice to see them. I have pictures to post so I will do that later.

Shelby and Trevor woke up with the yucks this morning. They were throwing up at the same time. It was lovely.

I am going to take a break from the computer so I just wanted to tell everyone Merry Christmas and I will catch up with everyone in a week or so!!

IN PREPARATION....

for the in-laws. That is what I am doing today. They will be leaving today from Virginia and heading this way. They will stop about half way and proceed tomorrow. Hopefully they will be here around lunch time.

So, today is preparation day. Cooking and cleaning will be in tall order today. Along with lunch with our pastor for Mike, going to pick Trev up from work, and if I get everything done by 5pm I am going to hang out with one of my friends and have a chat session.

Oh yeah, I am going to try to fit in a game or two with the girls this afternoon.

We had our "Dinner 6" get together after church yesterday and that was so fun. Other than a quick trip to the bathroom for Abby who ate way too much frosting and sprinkles in Sunday School, it was perfect.

Thankfully, Mike was paying close attention when Abby put her hand over her mouth and started looking green. I would not have like clean up frosting and sprinkles off someone else's floor, couch, etc.

Our kids Christmas program was last night and it was so good. Abby made us laugh because she was tired and kept yawning.

They were carolers so they wore scarfs and mittens and she kept running her mittened hands through her hair which made a static build up of which the state of Tennessee has never seen. It was hilarious!

Through it all she said all her lines and did her solo perfectly.

Shelby was in her element on stage! She is all business when she gets up there and her solo was wonderful. They were so excited to do it.

Trevor hated doing all the hand motions to the songs, but he did them. Not with great enthusiasm like the girls but he did them. I think this may have been his last kiddie Christmas play. As I typed that last line I got a little melancholy. When did he get this big???

They had pizza after the program for the cast members and then we came home, put on our pajamas, and watched Hairspray until Mike went to work.

It was a busy, fun day and I loved it!!

CHRISTMAS ADVENTURES

We have been doing a lot of Christmas-y things the past few days and I wanted to share them with all of you!!

December 7
Here we ate at Arby's before the Parade

Shelby and Abby watching the parade!

December 8

Seeing Santa at Krispy Kreme on Saturday morning

Abby eating her doughnut that she got to frost and put sprinkles on.

Shelby doing the same!!

December 9

We went to " A Walk thru Bethlehem". It is a cool thing one of the churches here put on every year. They make their gym like a real Bethlehem marketplace with costumes and the whole thing! The girls got to make a ragdoll, weave a bracelet, feel sheep's wool and pet sheep, watch grapes being mashed, watch an olive press, see fish dried with salt, and more!! This is a real treat for us every year. There are no pictures of this because Mike was video taping and as soon as he gets a cable I will upload some of it.

After the walk thru Bethlehem we went to the mall and participated in building a menorah made of legos. It was real cool and they loved it. They got dreidels and chocolate coins.

Trevor worked this weekend and went to a Christmas party for work so we got no pictures. Although he did go with us to Krispy Kreme and to build the menorah.

Our Church's Christmas Cantata was Sunday night and Shelby sang in that. She had a solo and she did great!! Again, Mike video taped it so I will upload it soon.

One of the best things about all these events were they were FREE!! Well, we did buy doughnuts but we probably would have anyway. They are so good!!

CHRISTMAS MUSIC

We have been listening to Christmas music around here for quite awhile.

Of course, if you know me at all, you know that one of my favs has to be Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton.

That is not a surprise. But some of my favorites might just be a surprise!

I have fallen in love with Brad Paisley's Christmas album. I love "Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday" and "Penguin, James Penguin"

I am also listening to Jimmy Buffet's Christmas album and The Skaggs Family Christmas album and Toni Braxton's Christmas album and Charlie Brown's Christmas Album and Harry Connick's Christmas album(I love it when he sings Frosty the Snowman!!) and the Christmas album I got from Bath and Body Works 500 years ago and I could go on and on.

Oh yeah, and the radio station that plays 24 hours a day Christmas music!!

I NEVER get tired of it and I think I would listen to it in July if I felt so inclined and sometimes I do.

What are your favorites?

A Happy HO HO HO to you!!!! (listen to Harry and you will know where I got that from:~)

Pictures and New Sheets

This is my two Dd on Christmas morning. They have on their new Christmas pajamas and they are having a great time with all the stuff Santa brought them. Granny and Pawpaw got youngest the Lincoln Logs.


I asked for new sheets for Christmas and I got them. They are brick red or burgundy whichever you prefer. They do not match my bedroom decor at all. So, why would I ask for a new set of sheets that don't match my bedroom? Because I want to change my bedroom decor and these sheets are my jump start. I love new sheets and I am not going to allow myself to use them until I paint and start redecorating. We are wanting to change to something that reflects things that we have enjoyed as a couple. We have picked a theme that will be something we both enjoy. I am excited to start.