A New Years Wish for You ~ ~ Lord, You Are More Precious Than Silver....

In a few hours our family will celebrate the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. Right now my house is cleaned, food is prepared and all kids are napping (in anticipation of staying up until midnight).

Pilgrim Radio is playing praise songs softly in the background, and I have some time to relax. For me, this is to sit down at the computer and check email and a few blogs. As I looked through my emails from today, this message grabbed my attention ------- A FUTURE WITHOUT FEAR.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes,

The final months of 2008 have seen an avalanche of bad financial news. Many families are struggling and wondering about their future. This does not mean you have to dread 2009, as Nancy explains in the series Looking Back / Looking Forward.

So true. Many people have lost jobs, seen their stock values plummet, or know someone who has. But for Christians, it is a good reminder that our hope is not in the stock market or the next president. Nor is our fear supposed to be as a result of these things. As Nancy quotes further in the message, "anything that causes us to need Him, anything that presses us closer to His heart is, in fact, a blessing. Anything that makes us more conformed into the image of Jesus is a blessing."

Click here to listen or read this message

Phil taught Timothy this song. It brings joy to our hearts to hear him sing this to himself as he goes through the day. We pray that the words of this song are always true in his life ~ and in yours as well.

Lord, You are more precious than silver

Lord, you are more costly than gold

Lord, you are more beautiful than diamonds

And nothing I desire compares with you.

May this scripture be your New Year's Resolution this year:

Phillipians 3:8-14

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Other thought stimulating resources for the new year:

Questions for the New Year

Resolutions for a New Year

Bible Memory Verses for 2009

Fun things for a father and his son

It's a toss up for Timothy as to which is his favorite gift -- the sword kit or the shaving kit. Either way, both things are much more fun if his dad is involved.

This video was of a sword fight BEFORE Timothy had his real pirate set. But I learned that wrapping paper rolls make pretty mean swords.


I think Phil is going to have a shaving buddy every morning. Timothy is very concerned that he gets all of his wiskers down the drain!





Watch Timothy in action as he takes this very seriously :).

Our funny boy!

I laugh out loud several times a day because of the silly things Timothy comes up with. He is so full of life and his beaming face can cheer me up in a second. I can't catch every funny thing on camera, but here are a few things that made me laugh this week.

1. Timothy dumped almost ALL of his 45+ puzzles. While Phil and the older girls were in Cheyenne for the day, we brought all the pieces and puzzles out to the family room. I was really struggling with some of the puzzles, but all I had to do was hold it up and ask Tim where it went. He could take one look at it and point me to exactly the right puzzle and the right location every time. This is a photo after several of the puzzles had been completed and put away.

2. Timothy put on Sarah's goggles then climbed up on the chair. Here he is preparing to dive/jump and then he's demonstrating his swimming skills.

3. Timothy belly-laughed so incredibly hard when he first saw our elf videos (at the bottom of this screen). Then we laughed so hard watching him watch the elves. His dance moves are impressive. He is still trying to figure out how Savannah can dance so well when she's not quite walking yet.

Watch funny Timothy.

The Gang's ALL Here!

It's been a LONG time since Phil's brother (Dave) and sister (Kim) and all our kids have been together. With the newest addition, Jackson Wayne Hubert, it seemed a prime time to have a reunion.

Kim, Gary, Krystal, Tayler and Mariah drove up the day after Christmas. Jeannine, Larry and Phil's step brother, Greg, joined us also. Due to bad weather in Laramie, Wayne and Sandy were not able to make it here. Phil's brother, David, and his family (Missi, Meg, Ella and baby Jack) arrived here on Saturday from Sheridan.


Considering the fact that there were 11 children and 9 adults, the chaos was relatively controlled!




(L to R, top row)) Sarah, Timothy, Tayler, Mariah, Krystal, Allie
(bottom row) Lindsay, Savannah, Meg, Jackson, Ella




I can't remember what happened here, but it was obviously hilarious.


Happy Birthday Jesus !!!!!

More Family Fun

As soon as Grandpa Larry walked in the house, Timothy had him putting his trike together.


Sarah and Tayler would LOVE it if they could see each other more often. Maybe a summer visit, Kim?


Greg is very concerned about getting lasagna on his white t-shirt.


Kim and Gary

With all the beds being used by the adults, the kids were able to have a sleepover in the family room. Before going to sleep, they all settled in for a movie.

An afternoon game of cards

Krystal, the oldest cousin - 12, meets baby Jack, the youngest - 5 weeks!

Phil can hardly hold back his excitement about his new book from his brother.

Timothy has some special bonding time with his new boy cousin.

He thought Jack might like a story before church.

Glimpses of Christmas Day

We had a very relaxing and peaceful Christmas morning. The kids did sleep in for awhile (like I was hoping for here). We had a nice breakfast, then read The Christmas Cross, and finally opened some presents.

The older girls were so excited for their sisters to open up the gifts they had picked out and purchased with their own money. Each one also bought Timothy and Savannah a gift as well.

Here are some of the highlights:


Since Savannah was only a few weeks old last Christmas, this one was especially fun. She figured out the unwrapping game rather quickly.




...and she is delighted with the bathtub xylophone!!!

I was thrilled with my coffee/espresso unit. I'm still working on that perfect latte, but it's getting close.

Sarah and Allie enjoying the morning in their Christmas jammies from Grammy.

Timothy was ecstatic with his pirate set. Now if he could just figure out how to keep the hat, earring and eyepatch on, hold the hook, sword, and gun AND still be able to sword fight.

Sarah showing him how it's done. Arghhh!

And another favorite was Timothy's shaving kit. Watch and hear how Lindsay's excitement for him is contagious.

S U R P R I S E !!!

H A P P Y * * * * B I R T H D A Y * * * * J A C K I E !!!

It's not every day that a close friend turns 40!! So....along with Jackie's husband, a few of her friends and I cooked up a surprise party. Her birthday falls just two days before Christmas, so we settled on the evening of the 21st.

To throw her off any suspicions that 'the gals' might be involved, we took her out to lunch earlier in the week. We asked just enough questions to not give any secrets away.

The plan was for Kevin and Jackie to bring their kids to Brenda's and then go on a special date. Not known to Jackie, there were 30 people hiding behind furniture and in the balcony ready to jump out at just the right time. She insists that we really did surprise her!

Watch the exciting arrival of the birthday girl.

Yep, you have to wear the hat and silly necklace ALL night long.

Jackie and Kevin - a great photo!

Teresa shared a special treat with Jackie - 40 bags of 40 things -from candy to medicine to hunting supplies.

There were a TON of kids, but they all managed to have a good time with nothing getting broke.

Some of the gals....Brenda, Teresa, Deb, Jackie, Jodi and Sherri

She blew out all 40 candles with very little help.

When Kevin went to pick up the cake, he asked the lady at the bakery if she would write Happy Birthday Jackie. Her response, "I don't write letters very well." Apparently this is no longer a job requirement for cake decorators!!

But....the decorating certainly did not affect the taste. Timothy's chocolate smile says it all!!

Jackie loves games that involve drawing so we set up a "Boys vs. Girls" challenge of Pictionary. Yep, the girls whooped the boys! Here is Blake drawing for the boys and Melissa guessing correctly for the girls team.

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!

Lots more posting to do later but here are a few family pictures taken before church last night. We had a nice evening at church and then had a family game and movie night. We finished off the evening watching the Symphony and Chorale telecast on television.

Everyone else is sleeping peacefully here at the Hubert house while the wind is blowing 50 mph outside. The kids didn't go to bed until after 11:00 pm so I am hoping for at least an hour or more of some hot coffee and quiet time. I know that after they wake up, there will be little time for either of these things.

Have a Merry Christmas Day.

Why We Need A Savior

Thought I'd share the Seeking Him Devotional from today. - Jodi


Why We Need a Savior ~ By Nancy Leigh DeMoss

“Unto you is born this day a Savior.” Words like that can slip off our lips so easily around this time of year. Those who have been around the things of God for a long time can take it for granted.

But it’s helpful during a time of decorations and celebration to remember how desperately we need a Savior. In a season of tinsel and lights, we need to be reminded of the darkness of sin. We’ve been saved from the judgment of God, the wrath of God.

The angel Gabriel announced, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” That’s more than a Christmas card greeting. That’s a radical message telling us that Jesus is God’s lifeline, the Savior, the One who came to save us from our sins.

Have you ever really faced the darkness of your sin? Once you do, you’ll celebrate the story of Christmas in a whole new way.

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss. http://www.seekinghim.com/

The Christmas County Spelling Bee ~

December 14, 2008 ~ Cornerstone E Free Church ~ Casper, WY

We had not one but TWO big events on Sunday. After enjoying the Children's Chorale performance from 3:00 - 5:30 pm, we rushed back home, changed clothes and headed back to the church for the children's program. The kids have been practicing so long and hard for this for several months. It was absolutely precious. Each and every child in the musical gave 110% and the audience definitely received a special treat on Sunday night! We laughed and cried - often at the same time!!!

Timothy was only officially in the 2's and 3's part at the beginning, but he sat in the second row next to me and belted out almost every word to the songs as well as much of the lines from the play!

Conner played his role of nerd quite well!

Timothy borrows Mike's glasses during the performance.

Sarah and Lindsay were both cheerleaders. Sarah was also a contestant in the spelling bee. This part was such a hoot. Just thinking about it brings a huge smile to my face. Especially funny was watching Kindred's face every time Sarah's pom pom came near her (or more accurately - hit her). In Phil's words, "Sarah is a typical cheerleader -- totally oblivious to what's going on around her!"

All of the spelling contestants received a part in the manger scene at the end of the play.

Allie and Cole had several solo parts throughout the play. They both did a really great job remembering their parts and singing out loud. Here are a couple brief clips from two different songs.

Casper Children's Chorale

One of the highlights of the Casper Children's Chorale is the annual holiday concert with the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. This was Allie's first real concert performance with the group and she was SO excited. Both of Phil's parents had planned on making the trip to see the concert, but unfortunately the weather turned bitterly cold and snowy, preventing Wayne and Sandy and also Larry from getting here. Jeannine came early on Saturday and beat the snow.


We are thankful for technology and I know there are grandparents waiting for me to post this video. This doesn't begin to do justice to the children's voices, but it is a small glimpse of how talented this group is.

Allie is in the second row, 4th from the right - thought that might help!!





Allie was thrilled with the roses Phil picked out for her.

Caroling Party

Each year the Baldacci Family hosts caroling and an open house. We walk 2 blocks from their home to an assisted living center and spend some time walking the halls singing Christmas carols. We typically end up in the main dining area and ask for requests from the residents. After singing we enjoyed food and fellowship at the Baldaccis as a zillion cars drove by to see their famous outdoor light show!



After the kids finished singing they all went and greeted the residents that had come to the dining hall.



Timothy shook each person's hand and told them Merry Christmas. It was priceless.

Here is one of the songs as we caroled through the hallways.

Friends, fun and games..........

We are having a great December and are enjoying some of the simpler things in life. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the season, I really enjoy the time to just hang out and enjoy the kids. Timothy makes sure we play hide and seek - a lot! His quirky way of playing it is to wait until I have hidden and then start counting. And he always copies my hiding place each time and closes his eyes. I guess if he can't see me, then I must not be able to find him!
Here's a game of hide and seek in his room.




Another favorite activity while the girls are at school is playdoh.



He likes all the colors lined up and he is usually really good about only using one color at a time.


Savannah loves to see pictures of herself or to look in mirrors. She says "baby, baby" and giggles at herself.



Lindsay was THRILLED to have some time to romp around in the snow.

Timothy was NOT thrilled to have to come inside. He insisted on leaving his boots on over his pajamas.

Another nice and relaxing way to spend the day is to read. I love to read all kinds of books and what a better excuse than to be in a bookclub. Our bookclub has about 13 ladies and we welcome anyone who wants to join us. Teresa hosted our December meeting and we discussed the book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free, by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. We also had a lively book exchange and picked our book for January.

We even managed to remember to take a Christmas photo and look who snuck in at the bottom right corner :).

Look at this cutie pie! She has so many Christmas dresses (mostly hand-me-downs from her cousins) that we wear dresses just because on very ordinary days.

Just a sampling of the Chrismas attire our little princess gets to wear this season.