Christmas Letter 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

One of the joys of this time of year is looking back on all the blessings God has provided throughout the past year. We were able to go on three trips this year and they standout as times of fun, so I will share them with you.

In late February, we packed up and headed north. First, we drove to Louisville, KY and had dinner with John’s Cousin Richard at his house. The next day, we drove to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY. Bobby (10) enjoyed seeing the “Men in White” movie and Sarah (13) really liked the life-sized section of “Noah’s Ark”. We spent the morning there, then drove to Bloomington, IN to spend the weekend visiting with family and going to Matthew and Emily Crum’s wedding. Jeffrey (6) says his favorite memory of that trip was getting to eat a Subway sandwich. John and the children even got to go sledding in the snow – a special treat for children growing up in South Carolina!

In May, we took a day trip to Charleston and went to The Patriot’s Point Museum. Trey (11) especially enjoyed seeing the planes and going on the flight simulator. Before driving home, we went to beach and played in the waves. Rebekah (1) discovered sand doesn’t taste as good as it looks.

In November, we were off to another wedding - Charlie and Katelynn Cahoon's. This one was in Williamsburg, VA. John’s sister-in-law, Sandi, arraigned for us to stay at Wyndham Governor’s Green. It was so luxurious; the children didn’t want to leave. William (7) said that was the best part of the trip, but I think getting to go swimming with his cousins in the resort’s pool was also special. Before the wedding, we were able to walk through part of Colonial Williamsburg. After the wedding, we all had fun dancing at the reception!

When we are not travelling, you can find us most days at home. We might be doing school work or chores or we might be playing in the backyard or watching a movie. Whatever we’re doing, you are welcome to join us. You might want to call first though, or you may catch me in my pj’s!

May your family be blessed this coming year with an ever deepening and an ever awe-inspiring relationship with Our Creator and Savior!

Merry Christmas!

The Moirs

What My Children are Thankful For

During the week before Thanksgiving, I had each of the children write out what they were thankful for. Here is what they wrote.

This is what Jeffrey dictated to me:

I am thankful for Mommy, Becky, Daddy, and Sarah.

This is what William wrote:

I am thankful for pasta because it is good for you and it tastes good. I like TV and computer and God because if He was not here we would be dust. I am thankful for all my friends and I am thankful for my family, especially Daddy because he loves me too. I love paper games because they are fun.

And here is what Bobby wrote:

I am thankful for my Mom and my Dad and my Heroclix and the television and the computer and my brothers and my racecar. Oh, and my sisters.

Here is what Trey wrote:

I am Thankful For....

Mom because she cares so much because sometimes you just need some help. Dad takes me where I want to go. My siblings are fun to play with. Toys and books don't compare to my imagination. Can't forget the baby - she's the youngest one.

And Sarah wrote this:

There are so many things I am thankful for. Here are just some of them.

I am thankful for my house. It is not very big, but we really have more space than we need. Our house has a good, solid roof that doesn't leak. Our house also has air-conditioning and heat.

My favorite room in the whole house is my room. That is another thing I am thankful for. Lately, I have been pretending my room is my house. I have been trying to keep it clean, and I have been taking care of my "children" - my sister and my doll. I'm thankful for them, too! My sister is cute and she makes me laugh everyday. And I am thankful for Ruthie, my doll, too. If it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't have gone to Atlanta with my mom, and that was so much fun!

There are many, many more things I am thankful for. But these are just some of them.

Overnight Beans

Here is how I cook dried beans in my crockpot without pre-soaking.
Combine the following in a 6 qt. crock pot:
3 pounds of dried beans - I use 2 lbs. black beans and 1 lb. pinto
1 tsp. cumin
3 TBS kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
3 TBS olive oil
6 TBS minced, dried onion
Water to within 1 inch of the top of the crock

Set to cook on low for 6-8 hours. These beans are delicious for breakfast.

Use the leftovers in one of the following ways:
1. Refried Beans: Throw into a food processor with enough juice to keep them moist, then heat for excellent refried beans OR bean burrito filling.
2. For Chili, combine extra beans with:
8 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, with juice
6 - 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 TBS sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
6 TBS cumin
4 TBS chili powder
1 lg. onion, diced and sauteed in 1/2 cup olive oil
Simmer on stove top for at least one hour for flavors to blend well, longer if able.

More pictures

Some more pictures from the Speed Racer Birthday Party

Aunt Caroline was nice enough to e-mail me some pictures she and Uncle Greg took at the birthday party we had last August. I attached some to the post below about the party. Here are the rest.

Star Wars Day at Roper Mountain Science Center

Today we went to Roper Mountain Science Center and learned about the science behind the Star Wars movies. Sarah learned about a robot that can speak 500 in English and Korean, displays emotions, and gets upset when you poke "her." William learned that a light saber couldn't really work because the handle is too small and because the laser would not stop but would go on and on. We also learned that the death star would have needed a lens to focus all those beams together to make the big ray.

Part of the festivities was a costume contest. We didn't win any prizes, but here are pictures we took when we got home.

Our Speed Racer Birthday Party

This month, Jeffrey turned 6 and Sarah turned 13. They had a combined party at Grandmother and Grandfather's house. Jeffrey wanted a Speed racer Party, so Sarah decided that was what he should have.

First she organized decorations. She got out construction paper and had all the boys create cool cars for a centerpiece decoration. The was an apple car complete with lowly worm. There was a shark car, an elephant car, a hand car, an S car, a Christmas Tree car, a flying car, and of course, a Speed Racer car.

Jeffrey dressed like Speed, wearing a blue tee shirt with a red bandana at the neck. The other characters were Trey as Sparky, Bobby as Racer X, William as Spridle, and Rebekah as Chim-chim. John and I were Pop and Mom Racer.

Sarah made a race car cake that looked great! John helped her cut it out and then she decorated it. It even had cookie hubcaps!

Here are the gifts Jeffrey received:
Grandmother and Grandfather - a $25 Barnes and Noble Gift certificate
Grandmommy - two coloring books
Uncle Greg and Aunt Caroline - some Hot Wheels
Aunt Beth and Cousin Laura (for all the Mays) - a Hot Wheel
Mr. and Mrs. Blair - a check for $25 which Jeffrey spent mostly at Build-A-Bear
Sarah - a Speed racer Helmet

Here are the gifts Sarah received:
Grandmother and Grandfather - a $25 Barnes and Noble Gift certificate
Grandmommy - a $25 Barnes and Noble Gift certificate
Uncle Greg and Aunt Caroline - a book about sewing
Aunt Beth and Cousin Laura - a $10 Target Gift card
Mr. and Mrs. Blair - a check for $25 which Jeffrey spent mostly at Build-A-Bear

They also each got a free animal from Build-A-Bear just because they were born he same month as "Bearemy". Jeffrey got a puppy and named it Yo-Ho-Ho Jonny and Sarah got a panda and named it Lee Mae-Hah.

For His birthday dinner, Jeffrey had Stuffed Shells with ice cream with sprinkles and banana for dessert. Sarah had Fettuccine Alfredo for her dinner and Cherry Pie for dessert.

Sarah also got a silver bracelet from Heather, some Littlest Pets from Isabella, and a journal and book from Grace.

It was a nice birthday season! :-D

Sarah and Mommy's Trip to Atlanta

I took Sarah to Atlanta for an overnight trip. Sarah wanted to buy the new American Girl Doll, Ruthie (Kit's best friend) at the AG store. I thought it was a great excuse for us to have some time one-on-one.

The timing of the trip was decided by the release date of the doll. She was released June 1st to stir up interest in the new AG movie, "Kit Kittredge, an American Girl." Sarah had wanted to be there the first day she was released, but that wasn't possible. She said it would be okay to be there the first week instead.

Since John wasn't working Friday, we drove to Alpharetta, where the AG store is, that morning. We were baffled to find a long line outside the store. Boy, were we surprised to find out that Abigail Breslin, star of the new movie, was there signing autographs!

We didn't get her autograph, but here is a picture of her signing autographs:



And here she is walking through the store after she was done:



Here is Sarah sitting in the chair Miss Breslin sat in:



Here is Sarah in front of the American Girl Store with her new Ruthie doll:




Here they are having lunch at the American Girl Bistro:



Be sure to read the next post for the rest of our adventures!

Atlanta Trip, Part 2

After shopping, we checked into our hotel, the La Quinta next to mall where the AG store is. It was a wonderful hotel and I would recommend it to anyone traveling in the area. It was clean and quiet and the rooms are very large.

After unpacking , we drove into Atlanta and went to the Coca-Cola Museum. Three were fun movies to watch, including one that was 4-D. We got to taste Coke products from around the world, see how Coke is bottled, and learn about the history of Coke and how it has been marketed through the years. We even got to meet the Coke Polar Bear!




After the museum, we strolled through Centennial Olympic Park. One lady asked us if we were Irish. I guess it was the long, loose dresses and the headcoverings.  Three was also a man said, “Good evening, ladies.” Then he turned to Sarah and said, “Madam.” His friend said, “What did you say?” “I called her Madam. It’s a respect thing!” LOL I got the feeling the comments would have been very different if we were in jeans.

When we drove back from Atlanta to the hotel, we knew we needed to get some dinner, but weren’t sure where to go. The we saw Bahama Breezes. That sounded perfect for two hot and thristy ladies! We split a chicken dish and had Key Lime Pie for dessert. Delicious!

After dinner, we swam in hotel pool before retiring for the night.

The next day, after the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, we packed and checked out and headed for the Atlanta Zoo. Before going into the Zoo, we had a picnic snack of leftover pizza from the AG Bistro and complimentary Cokes from the Coke Museum.

Our favorites from the Zoo were the naked mole rats, the kangaroo with a joey in its pouch, the orangatangs playing computer games, and the giant Pandas. Here is a picture of the baby panda taking a nap in a tree:




Here is Sarah pretending to be a Giant Panda that is holding Ruthie:



Here is Sarah petting a goat at the petting zoo.



We had a wonderful time!

Contests for me and you!

One of the message boards I am on, Upstate Moms (for moms in Upstate SC), is always having contests. And I seem to win more than my fair share! When I first joined the board, I had no idea there was a contest going on. However, I won! The proze was 4 tickets to the American Idol Show at the Bi-Lo Center. We sold those tickets and bought groceries! LOL

Then earlier this year, they had a contest where the prize was a $50 Visa gift card. They give away about 30 of those and I won one. :-)

Their most recent contest was for First Mom. Anyone who wanted to could submit the name of another mom who posts. "The nominee should be someone whose posts you always want to read, who makes you laugh or cry or think, who is a vital part of our UpstateMoms community." Some very nice ladies nominated me and I won. I got a tote bag, a t-shirt, a mouse pad, and a few magnets, all with the Upstate Mom logo. They also took my picture with my chidlren and posted it on the website. Here is that picture:



Now I have read of another contest. A lady on the Yahoo Group, Patriarch's Wives, is having a contest on her blog. You can win a $25 gift certificate to Fruitful Vine Creations, a lovely business that does custom wall lettering and signs. You can have a plaque made with scriture on it! Here is their website: http://www.fruitfulvinecreations.com/

To enter the contest, go to this blog and read the contest rules: http://thereisaseason.blogspot.com/2008/04/for-another-contest.html

If I keep winning prizes at this rate, my taxes will be very complicated next year! LOL

We returned from Matthew and Emily's Wedding on Sunday. Monday evening, William came to me with the Mega MadLibs Book. I choose the MadLib while he took something to the kitchen for me. I thought it would be cute to do this one, as we had just returned from the wedding. In case you can't read it, here is what the MadLib ended up saying after I just asked him to tell me nouns, adjectives, etc. The words he thought up (not knowing what the story was about, mind you) and in bold.

DESCIPTION OF WEDDING

The gigantic wedding yesterday afternoon between big Emily and her groom, Matthew, was carried off beautifully. The bride wore a long huge room with teeny edging and a tiny neckline. At the end of the sweet ceremony, there wasn't a dry mailman in the place. Later, at the reception, the bride's mother said, "The groom is a cool man, just the type of Bloomington we wanted for our sour daughter." The wet couple left midst a flurry of hot congratulations, to spend a warm honeymoon visiting weddings in Baltimore. They are sure to live sweetly for many years.

Rebekah's Birthday Party

Rebekah turned one recently and today was her party. Sarah made this cake, by herself, using directions found in a book. She made the cake, cut it out, made it into a bear, made two kinds of frosting from scratch, and then frosted and decorated the cake. Not bad for a 12yo!!

Grandmother and Grandfather didn't feel well enough to come, but dropped off their gift earlier. It was a shopping cart cover (just what I asked for!). It has a beautiful pink pattern. I'm sure she will look adorable next time we go shopping.

Aunt Beth came and gave Rebekah the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar and a stuffed caterpillar. I think that was her favorite present!

Uncle Greg brought Grandmommy, but Aunt Caroline was unable to come. :-( She needed to stay in Sumter to supervise some workmen. We missed her and her dogs! Grandmommy and Uncle Greg both gave Rebekah some pajamas which she really needed. The ones she has are getting short in the toes - how does that happen???

I think everyone had a good time. Rebekah was very cute the whole time. Hard to imagine that next year, she will be walking and talking by this time!

My Birthday Celebration

I have spent most of the day in bed, which is nice as I have not been feeling well. My dd has begged me to not to go near the kitchen or her room. That leaves very little space for me to be!

Around 7:00pm, I was asked to come to the living room. When I walked out, the children all jumped out from hiding places and yelled, "Surprise!"

Dinner was on the table. My 12yog had made corkscrew pasta and tomato sauce (by herself!) with salad on the side. There were placecards at each place (including on the highchair!). In the middle of the table were a collection of books about the ocean and seashore - they all know I love the beach - a scattering of seashells, my sunglasses, and a beach sandal (used and very dirty ).

After dinner, most of the children gave me cards they had made by themselves. My oldest son used many rebuses - pictures in place of words - so I had to puzzle it out. Then they brought out the cake. My dd made a cake and then cut it up to make it into the shape of a sailboat. She iced the sails, leaving a small strip in the center un-iced tot be the mast. The boat part was un-iced, but had three peppermint Lifesavers across the side. A paper anchor at one end and a small flag on a toothpick at the other finished the look. The picture doesn't show all the detail.

Tomorrow night, my in laws are going to baby-sit while dh takes me out to dinner.

It was a nice birthday!

A few new pictures of Rebekah Rose

A sleepy, two day old Rebekah Rose

being held by Uncle Greg

Three month old Rebekah Rose

being baptized.

Later that day

at a party in her honor,

again with Uncle Greg.

Last August,

being held by Grandmommy,

with Sarah

Being held by Grandmommy

in early December.

10 months old,

at the zoo with Mommy.

Another Birthday Party

Last Saturday, we had a birthday party for Trey and William. Per Trey's request, we had carrot cake and cream cheese icing. The next day, on William's birthday, we had chocolate cake and cram cheese icing. His other choice was carrot cake with chocolate icing, but I vetoed that.

Trey's birthday dinner was hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and corn. Sarah made brownies for dessert that night. For William's birthdya dinner, we had stuffed shells and salad. I wanted ot make bread, but we didn't have enough salt.

Here are the gifts Trey received:
Uncle Greg and Aunt Caroline - Star Wars figures (R2D2 and Darth Vader) and a Star Wars coin collector
Grandmommy - More Star Wars figures (Emporior Papatine and a sand trooper)
Aunt Beth (with Laura and Prescott) - GI Joe plane kit.
Grandmother and Grandfather - Model Airplane and a book on Flight.
Mr. and Mrs. Blair - $25

One of Trey's favorite presents was just something Unlcle Greg brought to give him. It is a calendar about unmanned vehicles. It went up on his wall right away. :-)

Here is what William received:
Uncle Greg and Aunt Caroline - A remote control race car
Grandmommy - Another RC race car
Aunt Beth (with Laura and Prescott) - A Spiderman action figure
Grandmother and Grandfather - Jonah book and mittens and army men
Mr. and Mrs. Blair - $25

The Animal Walk

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus has come to town. They arrived this morning by train. We can'ty afford to go to the circus, but we did go downtown this morning to see them walk the elephants and horses from the train station to the arena.

We were planning to leave at 8:30a to give us plenty of time to find a parking spot and a good place to watch before the 9:30a parade. At 8:00, I checked the local tv station website for local news and their site said the parade was at 9:00a! YIKES!!!!

I rushed the children through breakfast and got everyone dressed warmly and jumped in the van. We rushed downtown (me praying that the road I think is Washington really is - it was! PTL!) and parked in the lot across from the Presbyterian Church. There was NOTHING going on at 8:50am. We strolled downtown, wandered around a bit, wandered back down Washington. We ended up waiting an hour! *LOL* Try to keep 6 excited children behaving for an hour.

But it was worth it! The elephants were so cute, wrapping their trunks around the one in front of them's tail. How cute! And then the horse were great. My boys were even thrilled when one pooped in front of us and thought it great that there was truck following behind cleaning up the poop! They asked how much that guy got paid and I said, "Not enough!" LOL

I thought of hanging out downtown for while afterwards, but in our rush to get out of the house, not everyone had visited the potty before we left the house. Also, the 11mo was exhausted. We decided to come home and spend the rest of the day catching up on chores and watching videos. I hope to get them outside this afternoon. We have an experiment to do about rainbows that needs sunshine. :D

Does God care if you use a chemical birth control method?

If you believe that life begins at conception and that abortion is murder, then please read this!

Can some types of birth control cause early abortions?

Many women today choose the convenience of chemical birth controls - either birth control pills, shots, or IUD's. But how do they work? The best way to find out is to read the Full Prescribing Information provided by the manufacturer. These can be obtained by looking on-line, checking Physicians' Desk Reference, or by asking your pharmacist. Once you have this, look under the heading "Clinical Pharmacology". This is where the manufacturer tells how the birth control works. Most chemical birth control methods have three mechanisms. Although the primary mechanism is inhibition of ovulation, other alterations include changes in the cervical mucus, which increase the difficulty of sperm entry into the uterus, and changes in the endometrium which reduce the likelihood of implantation.[1]It's that last phrase which should concern Christians. This means that a fertilized egg would be unlikely to be able to implant in the uterus. If life begins at conception, then this is an abortion.
[1]Physicians' Desk Reference (Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics, 1998)

What does the Bible say about children?
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;" Jeremiah 1:5a

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the LORD. May the LORD bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Psalm 128

May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. Gen. 28:3