The only good thing about winter is...

 SNOWBOARDING!

I used to think that there was nothing good about it, but last year Travis an I took up snowboarding so that we would have even ONE thing to like about winter.  Yesterday my awesome mom took work off and watched Savannah for us all day and night so that Travis, Jasey and I could go snowboarding in Eastern Iowa.  I have to mention that Jasey's mom is pretty awesome too since she paid for our lift tickets!  We are pretty lucky people.  

 It was really fun.  Travis, Jasey and I all picked up new things and had turn around days in our snowboarding skills.  I'm still pretty terrible at it but I'll learn.  There's something awesome about feeling super tired and sore at the end of the day - like I used every single muscle in my body.

I just like this picture because I look crazy and the back ground looks a little fake.  It was really foggy and windy there all day.  

This one is for all you Savannah fans out there. This was her right after waking up yesterday at 7:30am.   She just wakes up ready to go!  

Many Photo Christmas Post!

It's safe to say that so far the Pierces have been having a very Merry Christmas.  Here are a few high lights. 

We hosted a little party with our high school small groups. We did a white Elephant gift exchange and the best gift was this live fish - that Nathan actually really wanted.  Go figure. 

 Here's Charissa and Travis and Graeme all snuggled up on the couch at the party.  Most of the guys and girls don't know each other very well so the randomly paired newly wed game went well :)

We went down to Oklahoma for a few days.  Here's Savannah with Travis' aunt Opal. In the 30 minutes we were there, Opal gave Savannah a candy cane, a GIANT candy cane, cookies, a peppermint candy, and two suckers.

Here's Travis with his Uncle Mortin, his Dad Frank, and his cousin Clifford. They're a good size family.

This is what Christmas is about.  Cousins, playing, eating, loving.  Lani, Savannah and Maggie wont get to have Christmas together again until Savannah's 4.  They are moving to India this summer.  We had some family pictures taken at walmart on Christmas Eve.  I can't wait to post them! SUPER funny.

 Christmas Eve we went and walked around a park and looked at the lights.  It was FREEZING.  But it was good to get out.  Travis lost our camera going down a slide and had to go back out to find it.  Then when he did find it, it was broken.  Christmas disaster!  Until....

 I fixed it.  Here he is before he knew I had fixed it - taking a time out in the garage.   He was kinda upset about it, but nothing a good camo coat and pipe in the garage couldn't fix. :)

Christmas morning Savannah was the first of the kids to come out of her room. Aunt Missy let her open a gift right away.  We had told Savannah that she had to "wait and wait until Christmas comes" for her presents so this was a pretty big deal!

Christmas night we finally got around to Poppy reading the Christmas story.  It was really chaotic.  I was trying to feed Savannah, Maggie (not pictured) was crying, and Lani was getting upset with both of them for not listening.  So we staged this picture afterward so that THIS is what we'll remember it being like.

Here's Sav with Travis' sister Malisa.  We don't get to see her enough so it's good to have a good picture of her with Savannah.

I don't know who that 4th girl in the back is.  

 We went to Travis' parent's church Sunday morning.  They are a part of a new church that started in their town.  They meet in a school since they don't have their own building yet.  It's a great church, but it did make me appreciate having a building.  Cornerstone met in a school auditorium when I started going there - I've pretty much forgotten what that was like!

The ride home was a little crazy, but thanks to Travis being awesome at driving and getting us home fast and Burger King and Micky Ds we made it!  Also thanks to the portable DVD player. Can't forget that one!

Back it up

Quick photo update of our last week: 

We played with Sav's friends Maddy and Max.  Savannah loves playing with... well, anyone.  I was going to say with the Dewhursts (which is true) but she just likes people.  

 Laura, Maddy and Max's mom, made the kids awesome crowns out of felt and who knows what else.  Savannah's is extra special because it has owls on it.  I wonder how long she'll stay on this owl kick.  It's been over a year!!

 We finally got some snow on Saturday.  Savannah could not wait to go out and play in it.  Then when we got her all bundled up and ready to go out she lasted about 3 minutes.  Then she came in and complained about how cold the snow is.  She's going to be like both her parents in that aspect.  So we all hate the cold - I'm fine with that.  I feel like I've typed this already.... did I already post this?

 Here's a shot a took right after she came in.  You can see how much she hated it :)  Someone's going to have to take her sledding and show her how to enjoy the snow..... Grandpa!

Ames High got out early today so I had some girls over for a game of Scrabble during Savannah's nap.  It was super fun.  I'm actually pretty awesome at Scrabble - which is weird because if you've ever gotten a text from me or anything else that I can't use spell check on, you know I'm the worst speller.  

Morgan Ferry won the game.  She said this may be the best day of her life.  We love Morgan.

A Holy Celebration

I've been reading a blog lately called A Holy Experience.  A friend of mine turned me on to it one day when I was feeling a little desperate about life.  I'm not really a fan of this kind of writing or of reading blogs written by people I don't directly know, but something about this blog quiets my soul when it's time for me to sit down and listen to God.  I usually start my quiet time by reading the blog, listening to the soft piano music, and meditating on the goodness of God and the joy it is that we can know him!

One of her recent posts was about What to do Christmas morning when all the gifts are for Him.  She and her family don't give Christmas gifts anymore.  They haven't for years.  Instead they count down the days until Christmas by giving gifts to the needy in the world.  They give gifts to Jesus who says "When you give to the lowest, you give to me".  It's an awesome challenge and it has inspired me to look a little differently at Christmas this year.  Even last night as I drove around looking at the Christmas lights it was like I saw them for the first time as lights to celebrate the birth of Christ (rather than just the festive holiday decor that most people are expressing when they hang them).  Why is it after 12 years of walking with Jesus, I am just now feeling like I finally GET his Birthday?

His Pride and Joy

My brother in-law, Greg, told us this story over Thanksgiving weekend:

There was a famous pastor who came out and said he was gay. During an interview with his parents the reporter said "How does it feel that your son is an abomination?" 

 His mother said "He may be an abomination but he is still our pride and joy."

The words of the mother have been ringing in my heart ever since I heard that.  Those are the words of an earthly, sinful parent.  How much more would those be the words of the Heavenly Father, who is able to and promises to forgive our sins.  To look beyond our unrighteousness, and see US, an abomination, as HIS pride and joy.  

Lord, "Keep me as the apple of your eye.  Hide me in the shadow of your wings" - Psalm 17:8

A little Savannah in your life

I realized it's been a while since I had a good Savannah picture post, so here's my best shot at it for today.  We've been kind of busy with potty training and crawling out of our crib and some of the usual "holiday" type things people do - like baking - so I haven't been taking too many pictures.  But here ya go.  Keep reading below if you're REALLY interested in what's been going on with Savannah.  Otherwise, enjoy the pictures!

We made our own pizzas for lunch today on left over buns with Turkey pepperoni.  

These pictures are from Tumble Bugs - the "gymnastics" class we've been going to on Wednesdays.  She does stretches, then some log rolling, then some balance beam, and if we're lucky, she hangs on a bar. Advanced stuff. 

It's kind of freezing out now.  We don't really go outside ever - mostly because I hate it.  Savannah's not thrilled with cold either.  Almost every time her butt hits the car seat she squeals "mommy!  I cold!"  But some neighbors of ours have some Santa decorations in their yard and she just learned to recognize santa.  She has no idea still who he is, but she knows how to point him out in a crowd. 

In other exciting news: Yes!  We've begun potty training. It's going okay.  She's a super star when we're at home or at Grandma's house.  She wears underwear almost all the time except during naps and night time.  During those times she wears a diaper or pull up.  And if I know we're going to be out for a while, or at church she wears a pull up.  Today she wore underwear to Tumble bugs and the play gym and she peed her pants 3 times.  Luckily I had brought extra clothes and a plastic bag, but I guess we're not ready for THAT much time away from home in underwear.  She gets disney princess stickers to put on this white piece of paper we taped to the bath room wall every time she sits on the potty.  Then if she goes pee pee she gets two candies (yogurt covered raisins).  If she were to ever go poo poo, she'd get a bowl of ice cream - but we're not there yet either.

As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, little miss has learned to crawl out of her crib as well.  Usually in the morning I lay in bed and read and pray until I hear her calling me "MOMMY!!!!!" and then I go get her. Today the first thing I heard was the sound of her door opening, followed by creaking on the stairs.  When I got up I could see her shadow from around the corner on the stairs.  I said her name 3 times and she just stood there silent and still.  Then I went down to her and she whispered to me "Shhhh.  I'm going down stairs."  So, today I lowered the bottom of her crib as low as it will go and gave her a lecture about what happens if she gets out on her own (Spank!).

I'm outta here! And a xmas wish.

Today I heard Savannah wake up from her afternoon nap and finished up what I was doing before I went up to her room to get her out of her crib.  I went upstairs and did not find her in her crib, but rather, in MY room.  She looked at me stunned and I looked at her stunned.  Then she said "ummm.... Yah Yah got out of crib. "  I asked her what she'd been doing since she got up and she said "playing".  So we talked about how she needs to wait for mommy to help her out, but that talking to will only last so long.  Once she's learned how to do it, there's no going back.  We're working on potty training now, so this is probably some what timely.  If it was up to me I'd keep her in the crib till she was 5.
In light of that new accomplishment, Savannah is asking for a special night light for Christmas this year.  I don't usually put things that I want up on my blog like this, but I am asking, please, someone get Savannah this night light for Christmas!

You set a timer on it so that it shows the sun during the day and the moon at night.  Then you tell your kiddo that they can't get out of bed until the sun comes out.  Savannah's pretty smart so I think this will work with her.  We might have to work on what happens if you get out of bed before the sun comes out a few times, but she'll get it :)