Christmas Eve Services

It's become a tradition for us to do two Christmas Eve Services each year. My sister & her husband attend a very large church that has something like 14 Christmas Eve Services over three days. We go the first night of services when it's less crowded. They have costumed characters before church, Santa in his sleigh and a live nativity (my photos didn't turn out from that--bummer!).

Then on Christmas Eve, we attend the Candlelight Service at my folks' church. We always try to get a good family photo before/after that service in our finery.


Here are the top two nominees for Christmas Eve Photos.

Then came Nathan sneaking up behind his dad....


Not to be left out, Rebekah ran up to get behind Nathan...



Andrew isn't a dummy, he manages to push into 'birth order' to get one more photo...
Check out Dad's face...think he knows they are up to no good?

Here are some photos from the service at my sister's church.
The stage was covered in fake snow and there are snowflakes falling on the screens. The earth is in the center of it all. Then the opening was drums that lit up when they were played and lighted drumsticks. It was a beautiful sight...my future drum line leader, Andrew, loved every minute of it.


For part of the sermon, Pastor Kerry Shook did a painting. It started as a star, stable, manger and then eventually, when it was turned over, it was Jesus on the cross. Amazing!!!

Candles from the candlelight portion. Andrew got some great photos for me...he's my photographer in training.

Fun times with Frosty.

And don't forget Santa!

Sour Cream Enchiladas

If you didn't see it, there's an Old El Paso Giveaway on the blog. To celebrate, I wanted to share my favorite recipe using Old El Paso Chopped Chiles.

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. 10 inch flour tortillas

1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 small can chopped green chilies

1 small can evaporated milk

1 (8 oz) sour cream

1 can cream of mushroom soup

5 oz. grated cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef and drain off fat. Mix in taco seasoning and green chilies. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer for 15 minutes. Mix canned milk, sour cream and soup in another pan. Cook over low heat until boiling and thick. Put 2 tablespoons meat mixture on each tortilla and roll up. Pour sauce over enchiladas and cover with cheese. Place in oven at 350 until cheese melts.

Enjoy your enchilladas and remember to enter to win the "Tackle the Taste" Giveaway.

Old El Paso "Tackle the Taste" Giveaway

A recent survey conducted for Old El Paso Green Chiles found that the majority of Americans will be gathering around the TV to watch the Big Game at home with friends and family on February 7, 2010.

61% of adults plan to watch the Big Game. Whether you´re planning a huge party or you're just looking forward to kicking back at home with your friends and family, Old El Paso Green Chiles can help you spice up the festivities!

Old El Paso Green Chiles, which come in 4.5 and 7 oz cans, are a simple way to liven up your go-to favorites. Fat-free and with only 10 calories per serving, Green Chiles are not spicy, but will add a unique flavor to your dishes that the whole crowd will love! (For my favorite Old El Paso Green Chiles recipe, click here.)



Perfect for your dips and salsas, as well as your nachos and chili, Old El Paso Green Chiles can help you score a mealtime touchdown with your guests this year. For more ideas, check out these quick (with a prep time of less than 30 minutes each!) and delicious recipes that incorporate Old El Paso Green Chiles and will have your fans cheering for more!
NachosGreen Chile Dip Green Chile Cornbread Taco Nachos Black Bean Dip
Slow Cooker Salsa Chili Seven-Layer Bean Dip Skillet Nacho Chili Southwestern Dip

Additionally, click here to save $0.55 on one can of Old El Paso Green Chiles today!

Want to know the best part???
In addition to these great recipes, Old El Paso and My Blog Spark would like to award one of Coolestmommy's Coolest Readers with a Fantastic "Tackle the Taste" Gift Pack for your football party fun that includes: Two cans of Old El Paso Green Chilies, Football-shaped Ceramic Serving Platter, Two Sets of football-themed plates, cocktail napkins and a themed table runner!

TO ENTER: Your first entry is to subscribe to my blog via email or reader. Leave a comment telling me how you subscribe.

Want to earn additional entries??
For each of the following, leave an additional comment which will be your additional entry:
--Tell us what team you'll be rooting for during the Superbowl
--Follow me on Twitter (coolestmommy)
--Tweet about this giveaway (either tweet @coolestmommy or leave a link to your tweet)
--Email three friends (and me at coolestmommy2000 at gmail dot com) to tell them about this giveaway and post a comment here saying that you emailed.
--Blog about this post (leave the link to your blog in the comment)


Make sure you give an email where I can contact you!!! Contest will end on Tuesday, February 2 and a winner will be chosen randomly by using random.org. Winner will have 48 hours from notification to claim prize or it will be awarded to another entrant. US Only, please.


The Green Chiles, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away were all given to me from Old El Paso through MyBlogSpark.

***NOTE**** Comments are now closed and a winner has been chosen. Thank you for your interest in this giveaway.

Merry Christmas #3

Once we were finally home from our travels, we were able to have our family Christmas with the five of us. We ended up with a week of snow days so one pajama-day, we decided we'd do Christmas after dinner. I finished wrapping gifts and we had a great time.


Here are Rebekah & Andrew with their new books/activities. Rebekah also got a box of Princess stickers.



Nathan loved his new "Rock & Roll" clothes. Check out the back pocket on the jeans with the guitar. Too cool for school!


Nathan is showing us the ornament he made for our family and explained how he did it. They poured paint in and swirled it around. His teacher said as much trouble as he usually has picking colors, she couldn't believe how fast he chose on this one. As soon as I saw it, I knew why it was so easy for him. He picked Purple for me (my favorite color), Pink for Rebekah (her favorite color), Blue for Daddy (his favorite color) and there wasn't red, but he picked a Burgundy that was closest to Red for Andrew (his favorite color is red). How precious!

We played games and just relaxed. Merry third and final Christmas!

Babies R Us Free $5 Gift Card Today only on Facebook!!!

If you become a fan of Babies R Us on Facebook, today (Thurs. Jan 28) only, you will receive a FREE $5 egift card. If you're already a fan, fill out this form to receive your gift card. The gift card is good through 2/20/2010 and can be used for online purchases as well as in both Babies R Us and Toys R Us stores nationwide.


Thanks MomSavesMoney for this link.

Photoworks Discounts for Valentine's Day

Save 25% on all Valentine photo gifts from when you sign up for a FREE photo storage account at Photoworks.

Wordless Wednesday

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

I found this vinyl a while back and we hadn't figured out where to put it at. I made up my mind and Sean hung it on Saturday. As you walk in the front door of my house, you can now read the quote that is slowly evolving into my new favorite quote. I know it's hard to see the gold in these photos, but when you see it live and in person, it's awesome.

Tips on Tuesday: One Little Word, 2010

For those of you who don't know about my One Little Word, you should first go to this post to get the background for this idea. Then if you'd like to see what I did in 2009, these posts all deal with my One Little Word.

I've been debating with myself over the word I keep hearing for 2010. When I finally approached Sean to get his take on it, he had brilliant insight and suddenly, it didn't seem like such a silly word after all.


For 2010, my One Little Word is Engaged. Now, I don't mean engaged as in about to get married! I'm happily married and 17+ years into this current marriage and I see no reason to try that over. I mean engaged as in Fully Engaged, totally involved, absorbed in the now.


Sean said immediately when I said engaged, "That makes a lot of sense. Most people go through life in neutral. They never get it (life) into gear. If you live life in neutral, you'll never know the thrill of moving ahead." I thought he had brilliant insight into what I'm thinking.


I look at Rebekah and realize my time to spend with her one-on-one is rapidly dwindling. Everyone knows how fast time goes with kids...but I'm warning you--when they hit school, you go from fast to warp speed. If you homeschool, I think the difference is the easiest to see (and the most dramatic). Whenever you send them to a school (elementary or middle or high school or college), you suddenly realize the warp speed issue.


When I spend time with Rebekah, I know we only have a year and a half until Kindergarten. Then she'll be making new friends--that's good, she'll start finding her own way in the world--also good, but her dependence on me will change--still good. I just don't want to live with any regrets. She's my last baby and I have always tried to hold every moment with every child. It's just hitting home harder that there won't be any more bottles here. Sippy cups are about to leave us. And I want to be fully engaged in every moment.


It goes beyond my children. I want to be living life to the fullest. If you aren't engaged, how can you truly live? I want to be totally engrossed/engaged with my family, my friends and my Lord. I'm working on living in the now not the what if.


Today I challenge you to find a word for your year. I pray about it and the word has come to me both years. And both years if I try to come up with a better word, I'm hounded by the one I end up with. Guess the Lord is telling me to stick with what He suggested. In 2010, I choose to focus on being Engaged.

Merry Christmas #2.5

Gretchen tries on her reindeer antlers. Too cute!

Poppa, do you like my slippers? Now my feet won't be cold like icicles.

Nathan models Rebekah's gift bag. What a ham.

Take one--Sean opens new Husker Sweatshirt. Take two--Nathan tries it on. Take three--Rebekah will not be outdone. She models the shirt with her new Monkey Slippers.

Take one--Poppa gets blue glasses to help find missing golf balls. Take two--Nathan feels the need to check them out. Take three--Andrew will not be outdone.

Poppa got Bejeweled so he can play without getting a Facebook account. Tio gets a book he wanted.

Tia giving Rebekah a gift and holding her new figurine. This one looks like Zeus did!

As Sean sings the "Toy Packaging" song as he tries to get Rebekah's doll out, Nathan models the box as a hat.

Andrew's last gift. Poppa & Grandma and Tio & Tia sent him to Weather Camp for a day. He LOVED it. He wants to be a meteorologist and this was something like Jr. Meteorologist crack. (Totally addicting and gives you a high that takes all day to come down from.) Now he wants to come back in the summer for the week long summer camp.

Gretchen isn't spoiled, she's just well-loved.

Merry Christmas #2

These are our actual Christmas Day photos. We opened stockings and the kids all got a stuffed animal. Thought this was cute of them on the couch. Then we had cinnamon rolls and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Here's the tree with all the 'loot'.

The gift opening frenzy for the day. We all got many nice gifts and had fun watching everyone open gifts.

After we were done, Rebekah kept wanting to move one ornament around on the tree.

Merry Christmas (#2). More Christmases to follow.