Home for the Holidays

Here are a few pics of our Christmas Eve Eve! It is so nice to come home to family!

Of course, the drive home is never too shabby....

Its so great to have my Uncle John up from FL to spend Christmas with us!

Cousin Jen and Austin- cute as a button as always!

Uncle Michael playing with Tonks.

Jen got attacked by Samson! I wish this picture wasn't blurry but its still hilarious!

John was helping mom with the baking and telling funny (John-) jokes, I'm sure!

Austin loves to swing!

THE END!

Merry Christmas Eve!

ICE Pics...

Here are the pics from ICE last night!


http://picasaweb.google.com/jaclynjoysmith/Christmas08#

Two Whole Weeks

I have 2 whole weeks off of work. I am so excited about this time. It has been a long, rough year that I have been trying to race through and the thought that nothing big stands between me and 2009 makes my heart joyful.

This 2 week break has already gotten off to a great start. I have spent lots of time Christmas shopping over the past 4 days and have completed all of it! I don't think I've ever been finished before Christmas Eve so I'm pretty proud of myself. I have realized this time around that I love shopping for people. I love the challenge of picking out the perfect gift for someone without having to be told what they want. I hate giving gift cards and I hate having to be told what to get someone. Asking someone what they want for Christmas is an absolute last resort and if I get to that point, I feel totally defeated.

This weekend also brought lots of time with friends, new and old. Tonight we went to Opryland's ICE to celebrate Arley's birthday, and then walked around Opryland Hotel. It was a great evening! Hopefully, I will get some pics up of that soon. I got a new camera today so expect LOTS of photos to start surfacing on here. :)

Tomorrow I head off to NC to spend Christmas with my family. I can't wait! Its been a couple of years since I have gotten to spend Christmas with my mom and I am looking forward to warm fires, lots of Christmas movies, baking yummies, and sing-alongs with my John and Uncle Michael.

Although, I usually don't agree with the song, I am feeling it tonight-- "Its the most wonderful time of the year!"

The best team in the nation!

Final score! 42-14.

Andrea is the best Tennessee fan I know. Maybe someday I will talk her into wearing some orange with that blue!

George wouldn't take a serious picture. This is the best we got! I love our matching Tebow jerseys!

I only hope that I can be as devoted as this lady 50 years from now.

I am so glad that George got to come over and go to the game with me! Our family raised us right!

The Infamous Baboons

Here are a few pics of the baboon getting out of the car (see a few posts below for the quick story)...

And then this is just a hilarious picture that we got of a sweet baboon family...just doing what they do...

Big Day

Today is a big day. There are 3 beginnings that have started for me today.

1. New Budget. My mom came to town this weekend and helped me figure out a new budgeting/saving system. This kind of stinks but eventually I want to be able to buy a home and all that great stuff that money gets you.

2. Back to the gym. I tend to gain some poundage during the summer and since summer is over (even though its still smouldering hot outside) its time to get it off.

3. Bible in 90 days. Amy-Jo started a few weeks ago and I start today. The whole Bible in 90 days. I am pretty excited about this but this might be the one I get behind on. So ask me about it to keep me accountable.

In other news, Debo stopped by the office today and told me that she misses South Africa today. I do too. In fact, I have missed it every day since I've been home. Here is a series of sweet photos that Patty Taylor took on the last day of VBS at Red Hill. That sweet boy I'm holding is Eldridge and is absolutely precious. We were dancing to "Outrigger Island."

Pray for Eldridge and his 2 siblings, Jeremiah and Jo-Anna today.

I'm home...

Unfortunately. If I could, I would get back on a plane right now. I miss it terribly and I've only been back for 6 hours. Here is a picture of Donovan that I mentioned earlier and that is Mzo behind him in the Hawaiian shirt.

Obviously thats a hula skirt on his head. :) I have realized that I am a terrible photographer because pretty much every picture I took is blurry. Good thing Bobby is compiling everyone's pictures for us all. Surely there will be great ones from that that I will add on here soon.

Hermanus was fun but I would have rather spent those 2 days at Red Hill playing football with the kids. I truly believe I will be there again soon.

I am fighting some pretty bad jet lag and swollen feet right now. Its only 5 pm here in Nashville and I want so badly to crawl into bed-- its midnight in Cape Town! So thats one way you can pray for me these next couple of days. Also, please pray that I don't go into that post-mission trip depression. I always have a hard time adjusting back to the 'real world.' One thought that brings me peace about being back, is believing that God will allow me to return to that place and those people that I now completely love.