Christmas 2011

I just downloaded or is it uploaded?? Anyways all the pictures from Christmas this year were taken on mine and Clays cell phones. HA HA So needless to say they are all a bit grainy and I really dont think I will be making a photo album this year. I did however just come across this picture and even grainy I LOVE IT!!!

Funny thing about this picture is this is ROUND 2!!!
When they first came down Clay was holding Abbi and we forgot to put her in the picture!! The kids ran down and saw all their presents and were so excited to start opening, when I looked at Clay and saw Abbi. I said "OH NO!! Abbi was not in the picture!! We got to go back to the steps!!" None of the kids cried or fussed about it, it was almost like they were used to mom messing up and forgetting something (HA HA)

This year we did something new with the kids for Christmas, we spent a portion of our gift money on making "Compassion bags" for the homeless.
 In each bag:

• track card from church
• handwritten letter from Clay
• bottle of water
• juice box
• cup of apple sauce
• can of meat
• crackers
• power/energy bar
• fruit snacks
• tooth brush & paste that was donated by local dentist

We were able to make just under 50 bags. Clay also packed up a lot of his warm clothes into a bin to hand out to who ever we found. Neither Clay or myself were mentally or emotionally prepared for what we did find. I think in all honesty the kids handled it all better then Clay and myself did. The kids went head first right into it. How do I explain it all. The day we put the bags together Carly and Jacob both wanted to help. Clay added his special touch with his letter. The kids and I added our touch writing "Jesus Loves you" on all of the bags. We put them all together on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day after Abbi's morning nap we headed to downtown Raleigh. The kids were asking a bunch of questions and Clay and I had no answers. We finally just told them we had no clue, that we had never done anything like this before and we had no idea what to expect or how to answer all their questions. We drove around downtown and got a little lost but found exactly what we were looking for!! There was a large court yard common area type yard with a bunch of different church vans handing out Styrofoam plates and singing carols. Clay parked the van, got out and asked one of the distributors if it would be ok to hand out the bags we had made and got an "Of Course!! Please do!!" The kids could not get out of the van fast enough. They stood there a bit dumbfounded as did I when I first got out. Then I just held Abbi tight and walked into the crowd. Clay and Jacob carried the bins of bags and we were swarmed by the homeless. For me it was a bit unsettling just because I was mom there with 5 kids and I watch way too much crime TV shows and I was scared something would happen to my babies. I was not scared of the people, just what could happen to my children. My children had smiles on their faces and nicely handed bags out and danced around to the Christmas carols. They noticed things like the shoes on the homeless feet and our children told us "When we come back next year we need to bring shoes."
After all the bags were given out Clay went back to the van to grab his bin of clothes. This was a moment I dont think I will ever forget. A man came out of nowhere when Clay held up a pair of pants and yelled that he needed pants and made his way through the crowd. He looked like he had been homeless for quite some time. He then proceeded to ask Clay if he had any "underwear". This really hit me. Still does. Underwear is something I have always had. I have never had to go a day in my life with out any. I just take it for granted to have things like shoes, underwear, socks, clothes. Never have I not had any of these things.
We had a mom come up to us and ask if we had anything for little girls. Carly then stepped up with the 2 jackets she had grabbed from her cubbie and the few toys she had grabbed from her stash of toys and handed them to the mom.
This was definitely an experience like none other! My own kids taught me so much!
We will definitely make this a yearly tradition!

Hide & Seek

At this very moment Jacob and Carly are sitting right next to each other, both at a laptop and they are playing.........
wait for it


HIDE & SEEK!!!!

Ummmmm really??
My 4 legged children are the ones running around just like my 2 legged children usually do playing tag around the first floor steps. It is so odd to watch. The dogs are actually stopping in the same spots as my kids and pausing and turning the opposite directions. It is a bit eeerie.

Flushing $$$ Money $$$

So Katrina found a nickle and was carrying it around upstairs while I put laundry in the washer.
As I walk out of the laundry room I hear the toilet running.
I walk in there and look in it, and jiggle the handle thinking "Hmmm that's strange." but dont give it another thought. I then go into the girls room and grab Abbi who is just waking from her morning nap.
A few minutes later Katrina comes in my room.
I ask her where her money is cause I dont want it left where Abbi can get it and put it in her mouth. I am a freak about small things since Abbi's trip to the ER to get x-rays after I thought she ate a Lego.
Katrina answers me with "In the toilet"

One day this story will make me laugh!!
Right?!?!


Carly, Jacob and I went to visit Aunt Karen, Kaz and Sam this past weekend in Mt. Airy. While there Karen told us not to use the sink in Sam's bathroom because he had put something down the drain and she had not had a chance to get it out yet!!! AHHH The life as parent!! A never ending adventure!!

WOW!!

My children are AWESOME!!
Let me brag about my kids!!
I posted a bit ago about our idea for compassion bags, remember?
Anyways just this morning a Godly lady friend of mine posted about Jesus and Santa. LONG STORY short I decided that today was the day we would talk to our kids about the TRUE meaning of Christmas and how we are to be giving instead of receiving etc.....
At brunch I got out my "compassion bag" sample from MOPS and went on to tell the kids about how I wanted to do this for Christmas this year and how we were going to spend money on these bags this year instead of gifts for under the tree.
Can I tell you, I am tearing up just writing this post. My Angels on loan from God wanted to drop everything and do these bags right now!! Their hearts are so big!! We also explained to the children how we gave a portion of the gift money to a needy family on our street who may loose their home.
My fear of their being tears and anger about not receiving for themselves this year were totally unnecessary!! We have raised our kids to want to help and want to give to others!! I am so proud of Clay and myself and I am so proud of our children!!
Thank you God!!

Carly is EIGHT "8" EIGHT!!!

EIGHT!!!
WHAT THE?!?!?!?!
How in the world has 8 years gone by?
She had quite the special day. 


Woke to the living room being decorated in Happy Birthday fun. For breakfast we did the typical Beane donuts and a couple gifts from her siblings.







Clay, Katrina, Abbi and I surprised her at school with cupcakes for her class.I had worked it out with Ms Pride and begged her not to say anything and let us surprise her. Carly's face was Priceless!! When she turned the corner you could see the look of confusion then complete joy!! It was AWESOME!!

She got to go on a date night with Clay and I all to herself. (Thank you Stacy Pleasant)
We ate at Ruby Tuesdays then walked over to TOYS R US where she got to pick out whatever toy she wanted cause she had $$ from all her grandparents!! Thank you Grand parents!!
Boy was that a tough decision for her to make!! She just kept putting her hands to her head saying "There is so much to choose from!" It was precious!!

Then we went over to the ice house and went ice skating with her new Cinderella doll who by the way just so happened to have an ice skating outfit that you could purchase! But hey it was buy one outfit get one free so that was cool. She is now in her pjs going to bed with Carly.

When Carly went upstairs to go to bed she said
"The was the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!"
How great is that!!
I love my life!!
I love my little girl!!

Thank you Dr. Alverez & Dr. Hawkensen for saving her little life!!!

Abbi is ONE!!!

WOW!!!
Where did the year go?!?!
How can 365 days have passed already??

What a year!!
Abigail you have been such a blessing in our lives. After Katrina was born the doctors told me there would be no more baby Dillards because my thyroid had stopped working. God obviously had other plans. In November we found out about my thyroid. In February we found out I was pregnant with you!
Every day with you has been complete joy! I always wanted 5 so you are my last baby. I try to take in every moment and just love it even if you are screaming your head off. I just can not believe a year has gone by so fast.

In June, 2011 Pop & Barb came for a visit and brought the loft beds he made so all the girls could fit in one room. The lofts are AWESOME!!

If Abbi wakes up before Katrina then the first words out of Katrina's mouth when she wakes up are "Where is Abbi?" If I put Katrina in her bed because she is having a temper tantrum Katrina asks "Where is Abbi?" like Abbi has to be in her crib if Katrina is in her crib. It is so very cute. The two are so close in age they wont know "life" without each other, sorta like Carly and Jacob.

You and Katrina are BEST BUDS!!
This is a picture taken at Halloween. Neither went trick or treating Halloween night. This picture was taken during the day before all the commotion of the night started. Katrina wanted nothing to do with Halloween again this year. She is scared to death of anything Halloween in the stores. So much so that I could not do practically any shopping while they were decorated for Halloween.

This morning Abbi decided she did not want to miss a beat. So she woke up at 5:30am instead of her usual 7am. I ran in there and grabbed her real quick before she woke Katrina up. Then it was just a matter of keeping her awake and happy until at least half her siblings got downstairs to do the BEANE DONUT BREAKFAST!! Carly and Katrina finally made it downstairs along with Daddy so we finally busted out the DONUTS and sang Happy Birthday. She couldn't care less about the singing and just wanted her donut!!

After the birthday girls morning nap I decided to get everyone all dressed up in their Christmas outfits and get our Christmas pictures. Boy was that chaos but we got some really great shots! My favorite has to be this one of Clay and Abbi!!! She looks just like her daddy!!


Happy Birthday Abbi Lynn you are truly a blessing from God!!

Compassion Bags

Not sure if any of you follow my Carlykins Boutique blog so I thought I would share this here too.

Here is my latest blog from Carlykins (in purple), you will have to read this to understand what I am talking about.

Compassion Bags

After much prayer I have decided that from now on I will be doing MORE with the money from Carlykins. I felt so honored to be able to help my friend April earn money to help 3 orphans from the Ukraine this year for Christmas! I want to keep the Spirit of giving going.
A few weeks ago I found a post/pin on pinterest.com about "Compassion bags" (Compassion Bags are basically anything you can fit in a ziploc bag that a homeless person could use. i.e. soap, toothpaste, tooth brush, crackers, apple sauce, juice, note about Jesus etc......). Later that night after the kids went to bed I talked with my husband about it and told him I wanted to start doing this with my Carlykins money. He was very supportive. I then sent an email to my DGL (discussion group leader) at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) about somehow doing this as a group for the area homeless.
Long story short, she talked to the other leaders and as it just turns out one of them does this with her children. The next MOPS it was talked about with the whole MOPS group AND a sample bag was sent home with everyone!! So everyone could make their own decision with whether or not they want to do it and not feel forced to do it as a MOPS activity.
How cool is that!! Even if just 5 of the women in MOPS decide to do it, and if they make 10 bags each with a little prayer card in there, that's 50 homeless!! COOL COOL COOL!!!
Please pray for this mission!! 

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I would like to take this idea even FARTHER!!

Again I went to my husband and told him I wanted to do even more.

My thought was, If Jesus were to come on Christmas day how would he want us spending the day of his birth? Would Jesus want us all sitting around a tree exchange silly gifts to each other that none of us really NEED? Or would Jesus want us out spreading the word and giving to the needy?

Clay and I have decided to take half the money we have planned to spend on Christmas gifts for the kids and take the kids to buy all the supplies to make compassion bags and then spend Christmas afternoon handing the bags out.