Christmas 2013

We love Christmas at The Lis house. We have certain traditions we do every year such as Christmas light looking. This year we stopped for donuts and hot cocoa while we were out sight seeing.
   On the morning of Christmas Eve we woke up and the kids helped me bake cookies and other goodies and we spent the day watching Christmas movies together. That evening we went to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at our church, which is probably our favorite tradition, it makes Christmas real for us. When we got home we opened our Christmas Eve box which includes new pajamas for everyone, a new Christmas movie and book and new hot cocoa mugs.

 We then enjoyed dinner and our new movie. James read Twas' The Night Before Christmas before we went off to bed (another favorite tradition!).

Our den on Christmas Eve, aka the calm before the storm.

The kids always sleep in our room on Christmas Eve and even though they are older they still want to and we let them! On Christmas morning we woke up and dove into our stockings.

We took a break for breakfast, this year it was a cinnamon roll Christmas tree.

Then the present opening began...

Legos

a giant Clone Trooper from PawPaw Roland to go with his giant Darth Vader

                                             

It was another year of Imaginext for James Henry

more Legos

3DS game

more Imaginext

her big gift this year...a Kindle Fire HD

from GG and Papa John

Christopher's big gift this year... a new red GI!

This is what the den looked like after Christmas happened....

We were so thankful to have both our dads here with us and to have another Christmas with my dad is such a blessing.

We spent the rest of the day eating Christmas dinner, making new memories and playing with our new toys.

building airplanes with PawPaw Roland

We had a wonderful Christmas, we are spoiled and blessed. I read a quote that said, "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas when you stop opening presents and listen" That is so true for me, to look around and see my husband and children smile and hear their laughs, that to me is the greatest joy at Christmas and better than any material gift.

         

1 year ago today....

One year ago today my life completely changed. I remember being wheeled into the operating room with tears rolling down my cheeks and the anesthesiologist asking me if I was OK. I laughed and told him the faster he put me to sleep the better I would be.  Then I remember waking up to James holding my hand in recovery. One year ago I made the decision to save my own life and change my future and the future of my family.

    There have been small moments this year when I have realized just how far I've come. Like, when I ran and chased James Henry around the pond in Red River (I couldn't have ran before). When I tried on my swimsuit and sat and cried in the dressing room at Dillard's because even as a teenager I never wore a size that small.  When James and I were wrestling and he picked me up over his head and swung me around.  When I see someone I haven't seen along time and they walk past me because they don't recognize me. The first time I RAN a mile on the treadmill.

   The real moments come at the Doctor when I'm told I am the picture of health. The mornings when I wake up so rested and full of energy because I sleep so well and no longer snore. When I realize I have not had to refill the prescription for my inhaler in months! The fact that I have learned so much about nutrition and the correct fuel for my body that I am teaching my children good healthy habits. 

   I look back at pictures of myself and don't even recognize who I was, don't get me wrong I was never unhappy or sad, I was just different than I am now.  I feel free now to do things I could not do before.

   This past year has been full of change and a lot of "firsts". In the next few months I plan on marking two more things off my new body bucket list. 1) zip lining across the Canyon  2) putting on a GI.

Yes, #2 just might make my husbands dreams come true! Plus,  I have already started kickboxing with Christopher. 

  I am so thankful to God for allowing me the opportunity to step forward and change my life. I am beyond blessed to be married to an amazingly God loving, supportive husband. He is my rock and my personal cheerleader. I am so very blessed.

In honor of my first surgerversary...here are some before and after pictures. Today my total weight loss sits at -68 pounds.

Christmas cards 2013 & 2012

 

24 nights of Elf on a Shelf 2013 edition

It was another fun year with Cocoa at the Lis house.

His first night back he wrecked the living room trying to find his way around after being gone so long...

The second night he replaced our stockings with our underwear!

The day of James Henry's birthday Cocoa threw a party! 

He helped us tell the kids about our family vacation in 2014... A cruise!!

He surprised the kids with a new movie to watch.

He turned the egg nog green.

In true summer camp fashion, he Saran wrapped the toilet seat.

He was captured by some vicious soldiers.

He must have been hungry, since he left a shopping list.

Cocoa was put in The Stone Cold Stunner! 

He toilet papered the Christmas Tree.

He bought the kids some new Christmas books.

One crazy night, he gathered some friends for a sac race! 

Cocoa photo-copied himself.

He wrote to Santa to update him on the kids this season.

Elf got a midnight snack craving!

Cocoa hung out in the Christmas village.

The day he hid on the top of the cabinets, it took the kids along time to find him! 

He loves a game of scrabble.

Cocoa had a slumber party one night with Makayla and her friends! 

Apparently, his favorite movie is Elf! 

Cocoa letting us know the real reason for Christmas! 

He read our favorite Christmas story! 

And finally he had to say good-bye for the season! He left a really sweet note.