~ Christmas Eve ~

Terral and I enjoyed our Christmas Eve. We traveled back to Greenwood from Northwest Arkansas in the rain. The rain was yucky but the snow made up for it!! We attended the 2nd Christmas Eve service and I was truly blessed and reminded of how blessed I am. I do not know how the first service went at FBC- Greenwood, but the 2nd one was so warm and inviting. The McKinney boys sang a duet, What Child Is This? One played the keyboard and the other played the guitar and they both sang. It was really good. They just lost their mother a couple of weeks ago and for them to get up on stage and use their gifts to glorify God was amazing! They did a great job. It was an honor to get to sing with the praise team in the service, but seeing Hudson was so precious. While I was on stage, all had their candles lit and all were singing Silent Night. When I looked out into the crowd I spotted Hudson. There he was, this sweet little angel sitting so still and precious holding his little candle so sweetly. All you could see was his little face lit up by the candle light. I wish I would have had a camera!! It was a priceless moment. I will never forget it!!

After the service it was snowing!! The kids were so excited, we were too!! So, we went home, the kids put out cookies and milk, and snuggled up in Lauren's bed. Terral and I started working like busy little bees. It was fun preparing the presents for the kids. Filling the stockings, wrapping the presents, and eating late night pizza and ice cream. Spending that time with Terral was precious to me. He really was sent to me by God!! I do not thank God for him enough!!

Love, Shaina

Hudson's football boy! He received both Manning boys!
I love Terral's face here. He was so happy for her!!

Lauren was so excited!!

The three children!!

Everyone had to help Jasper!

He liked his gifts.

Sweet boy!

The Meeker family on Christmas Day!

2009

Kids with Grandma and Grandpa

Christmas was a lot of fun! The kids did not wake up until about 8:30 or so. I woke up to Hudson showing me his toothbrush from his stocking. He was really excited about it. Terral and I went into the living room and gave the kids their presents. Hudson opened his presents first. Then he helped his sister. She was so excited to open her wii. She has been wanting that for awhile. It has been played with a lot since it has been opened.

After we opened presents I made eggs, biscuits, and bacon and the kids played in the snow. We had Terral's parents over for Christmas dinner. Terral and I made ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans (with bacon), deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, homemade mac -n- cheese, and rolls. It was so good! I wanted to have a Christmas dinner, so we made it! Terral was a huge help. My deviled eggs turned out really well. I was so glad. I have only made them once and they were terrible! I LOVE to cook. For dessert we had brownies and homemade chocolate chunk cookies. It was so nice to just be at home! That was my favorite part!! I really enjoyed being with my children and wonderful husband! I love them so much!!

Love, Shaina

Our little snowman
Their newest creation.

No snow left!!

Fun on the 4-wheeler.

Looking out on Brother and Sister!

So fun!

Before they went out. Hudson insisted on wearing that scarf!!

I was so thankful for the snow! I can't believe we has a white Christmas! The kids had a great time playing in the snow. It was so cold!! Terral took them out on the 4-wheeler. I think he had more fun than them!! I loved the little snowman. He was cute. There is still a little of him left in the yard!!

Love, Shaina

Jasper loves his little monkey!

Uncle Blake is very interesting!

Opening presents.

Clothes!

My Aunt Tina and I.

The boys in their white shirts!

My brother Blake and I. (Wish he would cut his hair!)

Aunt Yvonne and I.

Stephanie and I, my other sister!

These pictures are from Christmas with my family. We had a great time. We went to Rogers and had dinner at my cousin's house and all my Aunts were there. They play such a huge part in my life! I love them all! I love to take pictures when everyone is all together. Stephanie is my cousin Cody's fiancee. It is crazy how much we are alike!! Terral and Cody always tease us about being sisters!! She is such a sweetie!!

My cousin Megan, Lauren, and Jasper

Cody and Jasper

I love all my family! I am always so glad when we can all get together! It is always such a blast!!

Love, Shaina

~ 7 months old ~

Jasper

Jasper

Jasper and I

I absolutely adore this little guy!! He makes me melt!! He lights up when I walk into the room like I am the best thing in the world! I take advantage of every precious moment I have with him. He is such a joy! He hardly ever cries,basically when he is hungry. He just turned seven months old. Yes, I said 7 months old!! I can hardly believe it!

7 Months:

- sits up

- smiles all the time

- gets on his hands and knees

-weighs 19 pounds and 3 ounces

- plays with his toys and his brother and sister

- sleeps through the night (sometimes!)

- eats fruits, cereal, and vegetables

- still nurses!!

I could go on and on!!! For those of you who have 2 children and are contemplating #3, GO FOR IT!! There is something about that third baby!!

Love, Shaina

My great speller!!
I have to tell all!! My sweet Lauren won the class spelling bee! I am so proud of her!! She is a very good speller. I could tell something was "up" with her when I picked her up today. She was all smiles. When she told me I think I floated off the ground!

Lauren, I love you and I am so proud of you! You are such a bright young lady and I enjoy watching you blossom daily!
Love, Mom

~ Music of Choice ~

This is what is playing in my house today!! It is great. I am preparing for Christmas time. I have not put up any decorations yet. I am cleaning first. I am wondering if I will get to decorating though????

~ Pumpkin Carving Time ~

Cleaning it out.
The finished product.

I have to admit, Lauren is nine years old and Terral and I have never carved a pumpkin with her. Is that terrible? It is going to be a new tradition in this household. It was a lot of fun. It is easy for me to say because I did absolutely nothing!! Terral and Lauren did all the work. Lauren had her latex gloves on cleaning out the pumpkin and Terral did the carving.

We did this at our fall get together with our lifegroup. It was a great time. Hudson mostly ran and played football. (Imagine that!) Of course we ate and mingled. It is always good to visit and fun to watch the kids play.

Sweet Jasper- he was soooo good!
Loved this booth!

This was a great one too!

My sweet boy and I!

How could I not blog about one of the greatest weekends of the year?! Every year I look forward to one specific weekend in October. This is the weekend I go to Oklahoma City!! This year TH went with me. We had such a great time. Took a little time to get out of Greenwood, but that was understandable. There are a lot of arrangements to be made with 5 kids!! The sixth child went with us. :)

We shopped our little hearts out! We ate good, shopped, talked, texted (story there but won't go there), laughed, and saw some good ole Oklahoma sights. (ex. Pig Out Palace)

I absolutely can not wait until next year!! OKC watch out because we will be back!!

Love, Shaina

Terral and Dax

Hudson did not want Dax to leave!!

Over the years we make friends and sometimes they move away, or we move away, or life happens and distance is created because of life happening and changes, etc... Though there are those few friends you find who are irreplaceable. The ones you laugh with, cry with, loose loved ones with, or/and grow up with. Terral had a lifelong friend come to town and it was a great visit!! Dax and Terral have been friends since they were just little boys. He was able to come over for dinner and meet Hudson and Jasper (he already knew Lauren) and just hang out. It was really refreshing for me to be in the kitchen preparing dinner and cleaning up and listening to the two of them laugh and laugh. I found myself so tickled because of their laughter. They were reminiscing of the past and telling stories. I know Terral really enjoyed having him over. Dax lives in Thailand and has not been to the states in three years. Hudson really liked him.


Isn't it so great to have those friends in your life you truly love and know you can call on anytime!!

Thank you to my dear friends who are always there for me! You know who you are!!


Love, Shaina

~ Halloween ~

Mr. and Mrs. Meeker

Hudson as the Tinman

Jasper as the Lion

Lauren as Dorothy

The Meeker Family




I am so behind on blogging!! So, I was looking through my pictures to decide what I should share with the "blogging" world. Halloween was the first thing I discovered. Halloween was a 2 day holiday in the Meeker world this year. Mr. and Mrs. Meeker had a halloween party on Friday, the 30th. It was fun. The kids had a blast. Our family chose the Wizard of Oz theme. It was great! Terral was the scarecrow, Lauren was Dorothy, Hudson was the tinman, and Jasper was the lion. I was supposed to be Glinda, the good witch, but I had some wardrobe malfunctions. I basically searched the house and in the pictures you can see what I came up with!!


On the 31st, all the Meekers went trick or treating together. It was a lot of fun as well. We still have candy!! We received a lot of candy!! The kids had a blast though and that is what matters.

Something happened to my camera and I did not get any pictures on Halloween, but did on the 30th. I did not use face paint the 2nd night of dressing up and I think Hud's costume looked better without the face paint. I did not use the foil either. I wish I had some pictures to show of the second night. Oh well!!


Love, Shaina

~ What a Fun Day ~

What a great day it was today!! We started out at Neumeier's Nursery for their fall festival (which I had never been to). It was really fun. There was food, music, pictures, booths, pumpkins, fall decorations, and their neat store covered in fall decorations. Mrs. Donna went with us and that really made it great. It is always nice to have another adult to have conversation with and help with the kids! Mrs. Donna is great!!! I love her.

The Hogs won!! WOO HOO!!! That added to the many great things about this day.

After the fall festival it was off to the mall on a shoe hunt for Lauren. She needed tennis shoes badly!! We went to several stores and found nothing! I had given up then decided to stop in Journeys to see if they had any and there they were!!! Those sweet pumas!! Lauren just fell in love with them. I fell in love with the price because they were on sale. Not to mention, they are cute! Ha! ( I just went in the living room to find Lauren in her jammies wearing her new tennis shoes!!) Lets see, where was I? Mall, shoes, cookies, rush to Gwood for some
Pitbull Football!! The game was fun, sad we lost. :(

After the game, ran through sonic for some dinner, came home, and I am ready to snuggle up and eat ice cream!!!

Love, Shaina