Best Christmas Gift....EVER

My best Christmas gift ever came to me on December 26th, 2001! A dark headed, 6 pounds 9 ounce beautiful baby girl~my first girl, Addie Noel. :)
My dark headed, Christmas baby girl is double digits now~the big 10...yikes! I can't believe 10 years have gone by so fast, yet they have been a blast. I've treasured every minute being a stay at home mom and sacrificing a lot to be with this girl as she has grown.


Happy 10th Birthday to my big girl, Addie. I LOVE YOU so so much. :) Praying God continues to use you mighty for Him.
We love you.
Mom

From our Family to Yours....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!




Ryan, Kara, Addie, Avery, & Annalise Prater
2011

Christmas Fun!!!

I LOVE, LOVE this time of year. Having lots of fun in the Praters for sure. :)

1. Christmas shopping
2. looking at Christmas lights around town
3. Getting Christmas cards in the mail everyday
4. Advent calendars
5. reading the birth of Jesus as a family at night all piled up on one bed
6. the cheerful songs of Christmas music
7. a glowing Christmas tree in a completely dark home
8. Christmas movies with my girls
9. endless holiday treats that are constant in our home
10. Christmas Eve service with my church
11. wrapping gifts with my husband
12. holiday dinner with your best girl friends
13. collecting all the stocking stuffers for my girls
14. Operation Christmas child box
15. new pjs for the girls

...And, SO many more!! It's fun just writing them down. I love the Christmas season and hope you too are finding new reasons to celebrate this Holy season. :)

November update...o wait, it's already December

Whew....One word!! Wow, it has been incredible busy settling down to life in Katy and the demands to starting up a church with your husband! I can't even hardly remember November besides a trip to TX panhandle that brought me some of my favorite weather...cold! ;) Then, between subbing and constantly hosting something at our home for church, we were volunteering in the schools, and for me just keeping my head on top of water with 3 girls, schedules, homework, and did I mention my kindergartner has homework?!?! Needless to say, November came and went, and we are already have way into December.
Cross Community Church is doing well, we added another family in November so right now for our "core group" we are at 9 families & too many kids that we literally could already have a peewee school!!! LOL :) I'm excited to announce that we will have our first "public" service this Christmas Eve at Cimarron Elementary, my girl's school. We are SO Excited to celebrate our first Christmas with some friends and neighbors the core group has been investing in. After Christmas Eve, we will meet starting in January. August will be our big "Launch" as they call in church world where its a HUGE push to public and the church has to be ready on so many levels. It has been hard....but so fun. I am getting gray hair and Ryan is still losing his. ;)
Girls are growing like crazy...2 of them already letting go of their blankies but needing me in so many other ways. Its a weird dynamic going on but I am trying to enjoy and embrace the good growth.
I caught a super cute pic of the girls so I'll be posting soon. Its a perfect example and snapshot of all 3 personalities.
Well, it's off to bed I go....although sitting here with all lights off except the Christmas tree next me makes me happy. I sure do hope to post more...tomorrow. :)