The Lis Family

Friday, January 18, 2013

James Henry is Wrestling

James Henry turned four last month and it was a day his dad has been waiting for, for a long time! In Texas you can start wrestling at age 4. This picture is him on his way to his first night of practice.

Yesterday, we purchased his very first pair of wrestling shoes. They are so cute and tiny! I know, I'm supposed to say they make him look so tough.

James Henry is in yellow, practicing with his coach.

He means business! He loves the double leg take down and even uses it on our dog! Thank goodness she is a good sport about it. We love his coach, he is so patient with the kids. Coach Q recently told James that James Henry was a beast on the mat. Really, I can't even begin to describe to you how happy that made my husband!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

James' Dad came to visit!

Over Christmas Break James' dad aka Paw paw Roland came to visit! He spoiled our kids rotten!

They went to Chuck E Cheese.

He took them shopping with all their Christmas money and gift cards and added to the money they already had. It was like they had 2 sets of Christmas.

We loved having him here! We watched alot of movies together.

I had surgery over Christmas break and he was such a huge help to James and I. He cleaned, did laundry and dishes and kept the house running. He was a huge blessing and I can't thank him enough!

Here he is with Makayla and Christopher at midnight on New Years Eve!!

We really enjoyed our visit and cant wait until next time!!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Makayla is 11!

Wow! It is so hard to believe that the baby girl God blessed us with so many years ago when we were first starting out has turned 11! She has grown into a beautiful, smart, talented young woman. She loves to read, write and she loves theater!

We gave her, her present a few days early so she could enjoy it over Christmas break. We surprised her with an iPhone! On a side note-times they are a-changing! James and I didn't have cell phones until we were adults! She now sends texts to her aunts, cousins and grandparents and sometimes she sends us a text from the next room!

On her birthday I took her lunch and we had cookies with her class.

That night, she opened her presents from her grandparents and per her request her daddy made her meatloaf and we all watched Brave.

She originally wanted to have an indoor pool party but the place she wanted to have it at was closed for a moth due to roof repairs and she really didn't want to have it anywhere else. So, James and I struck a deal with her. She has been saving for another American Girl Doll, so we bought her the doll in place of having a big party. It was a win-win!

We are celebrating one last time this weekend with dinner of her choosing at Outback!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Our Christmas 2012

We had such a wonderful and blessed Christmas! I really wanted to take a step back and relax, to enjoy the small things this season! We have in the last few years taken a major step back from presents. This year there was no Black Friday Shopping!! Instead, James and I had breakfast one morning while the kids were at school and did all our shopping in one day!

I love the fun things in this season. like all our kids Christmas programs.

James Henry's preschool did the cutest Christmas program! They even memorized Luke 2:1-14! I couldn't believe it, preschoolers reciting 14 verses of the Christmas story!

Makayla's choir had an evening performance.

I loved that James Henry went on a caroling field trip to a nursing home.

Makayla had an ugly sweater party at church!

Christopher's class collected items and delivered them to the local Ronald McDonald House.

Then, there were the school Christmas parties...

Makayla's party

James Henry's party

Christopher's party

We also love to bake this time of year! This year instead of a gingerbread house, we did Christmas trees! It was so fun!

We also made chocolate covered oreos! Yummy!

One night, we purchased hot cocoa and spent about 3 hours looking at Christmas lights and singing Christmas carols. It was one of my favorite nights of the season!

We started a new tradition this year. I bought a cheap package of ornaments from the store and every night we took turns writing a name for God on the ornaments and placing it in the jar. It was our table centerpiece. The kids really got into it and always knew whose night it was. It was just a small moment in our day to take a time out and reflect on who Jesus was in our life that day and that Christmas is really about the Birth of our Savior.

Christmas Cards!! I love getting them and I love sending them out!!

We watched every Christmas movie we own and all we could find on TV and Netflix and enjoyed hot cocoa and movies together for weeks!!

I also started a new Christmas Eve tradition this year. We always open new PJ's on Christmas Eve but this year we opened "the box". It contained, a new Christmas movie, new pajamas, new hot cocoa cups, popcorn bags and a new book. This years box included "Arthur Christmas" and "Twas' The Night Before Christmas in Texas".

James always reads Twas The Night Before Christmas to us and all our kiddos get to pile up in our room and sleep!

Christmas morning we woke up to our 2nd white Christmas in a row!

Even Bayou got into the Christmas spirit in her sweater!

Opening presents... We are blessed!

My boys are really into this show called, Finding Bigfoot on Animal Planet. They loved their hats!

My sweet hubby got me this book (yay!!) along with a new Fossil watch and slippers! He's the best!

Our gift to my dad...pretty cool!

We picked up my Father in Law from the airport this morning and we are ready to enjoy the rest of our Christmas vacation hanging out, watching movies, reading books, and building Lego's!

A Reflection on 2012

Wow! It is hard to believe 2012 has come to an end. I find myself reflecting on another wonderful year God has given me on this Earth.

We did alot this year..
We celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary! Our kids turned 10, 8 and 4.
We bought a new family vehicle (mini-vans rock!).
We meet up with precious friends in Dallas over Spring Break. We went to a Texas Rangers game. We went to Great Wolf Lodge. We went to Louisiana 3 times!! We went to church camp, Girl Scout camp and Lego Camp!
James shot his first deer!
We welcomed a new nephew!
Makayla was cast in her first theater production.
James Henry started preschool!
Christopher learned to play drums!
James' sister visited us from college for an entire week!
The Lis Family suffered it's first broken bone, Makayla broke her wrist on Spring Break!
I could keep going...but I'll stop there.

God also allowed us to walk through some trails. . In August after prayer, consideration and much heartbreak we left the church we had called home for almost 5 years. I never ever knew there could be so much pain that came with changing churches. It was a very painful few months, almost like a divorce. It was a rough time for us. God's word tells us to Count it All Joy! To be honest,Joy was where I struggled for along time.
We tried a few churches before we walked into the doors of Paramount Baptist Church. After the first visit, our kids wanted to join! We knew several people that went there. We really liked it and so did they! The first sermon series was on, drum roll please... JOY! We have really fallen in love with Paramount. We have become members and made Paramount our church home. They have an awesome group for Makayla. I have been going to a ladies group that meets one morning a week. We have found a Sunday School class for us that we think is a great fit. We are meeting people and looking forward to getting involved. We have even signed up to volunteer for our first event! Paramount has so much to offer our family! We are really looking forward to our future at Paramount and seeing God work in our lives there.

Although, we walked through this trail in 2012, God never left our side. We learned some lessons and learned who the true people in our lives were. We were able to see with clear eyes what was most important...God and Family!

God is always so good to us! He led our hearts to make Amarillo a permanent home. Yes, after 5 years we needed to feel at home and it was something only God could do for us. After always moving, being stable is huge for us!!

We give all the Glory and Honor to our Heavenly Father! We praise his Holy Name!
The Lis family is dancing into 2013 with JOYful hearts!
Happy New Year!