Merry Christmas

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (GOD WITH US)." -Matthew 1:23

pictures by Miss Sammi Fife:)

Generation Link Mid-Year Retreat

Last week our family spent 3 nights in Gatlinburg with all the Generation Link staff for the mid-year retreat. To learn more about Generation Link go here. This is always a fun time for our family. We all stay in a house together so it's very conducive for hanging out! I really love this group of G-linkers and could have spent another few days with them. They are a great group and I'm so encouraged by each of them!

One of the best parts of this retreat is the share time. Jeremy has everyone share throughout the retreat a personal and ministry update. After they've shared everyone else encourages them by sharing what evidences of God's grace they see in that persons life. It's such a healthy exercise and so encouraging to hear people share and seek to "love one another with brotherly affection & outdo one another in showing honor" (Romans 12:10). I really love Jeremy's job/ministry and that I get to join him on things like this. He does a great job leading these interns and I'm so proud of him. It's so fun for he and I to watch college students get involved at our church and grow in their faith and really become men and women right before our eyes! Some of the people on this years team have been involved at Crosspoint since they were freshmen at Clemson. We really have seen them mature and grow in so many ways! What an honor that is! Oh, I could go on and on....I just love the privilege of being around them and seeing life transformation!

One afternoon we went to Ober Gatlinburg and some ice skated and some of us did the Alpine Slide. Here are the girls with some of the staff girls. I'm SO thankful for how this group loves on our kids so well!

Carson and I on the chair lift up to the top to ride the Alpine Slide.

There goes Bailey and Savannah with Lydia down the slide.

Lauren & Bryn

The house was great! Here we are gathered singing and getting ready for one of our meetings.

Not a great picture...but that's Carson. He got to ride the slide all by himself!

Our kids are well-loved...

Singing at Church

from Owen's visit

We loved having Owen stay with us for awhile after his new baby brothers were born. Here are a few pictures from his time here. The one above is Jeremy taking Carson & Owen "Snipe Hunting" one night. If you're unfamiliar with Snipe Hunting then read below.

A snipe hunt, a form of wild-goose chase that is also known as a fool's errand, is a type of practical joke that involves experienced people making fun of credulous newcomers by giving them an impossible or imaginary task. The origin of the term is a practical joke where inexperienced campers are told about a bird or animal called the snipe as well as a usually preposterous method of catching it, such as running around the woods carrying a bag or making strange noises such as banging rocks together. Incidentally, the snipe (a family of shorebirds) is difficult to catch for experienced hunters, so much so that the word "sniper" is derived from it to refer to anyone skilled enough to shoot one.^[1]

Owen also helped us decorate our tree.

Here are the boys sleeping one night. So funny:) They did really good sharing a bed & room together. We love you Owen and loved having you in our home!

a boy???

So, I was just going through some old pictures and found this one and held it up to Carson and Bryn to see if they could guess who it was. They both starting guessing BOYS in our family!

What!?

This is ME when I was 7 years old (Carson's age now). Does the huge bib collar not give it away!? I guess the short feathered-back hair doesn't help;)

12 years

12 years ago I married my best friend! With each year that passes I realize more and more what a gift my husband is to me. He is a rarity! He loves me and his children well! He is a godly man who provides for and protects his family. He makes it easy to follow him. I look forward to the next 12 years with joy and excitement to see where the Lord leads us. I love you babe! Thank you for your faithfulness to me and our family. We adore you! I love being married to you!

Thank you Adam and Savannah for babysitting so that we could enjoy a nice anniversary dinner out! And thank you to the Finley CP group for providing this date (gift certificate and babysitters)...such a gift!

Clemson Christmas Parade

Thursday night was the annual Clemson Christmas Parade. We headed out to enjoy this family friendly event. It's just the ride speed for our gang. We are thankful to have a week with our nephew Owen. He traveled back to SC with Spencer and I to spend some time with our family and hopefully make the Clarke house a little quieter. We are enjoying him being here! He and Carson are glued at the hip;)

Spencer is 10 months

Oh he is such a love! I'm just smitten to the core with this boy! Thank you sweet Jesus for this precious gift!

My New Nephews!

On December 1st at 10:08 and 10:09 a.m. my sweet little nephews were born to my sister Andrea and her husband Bryan. We were all in the waiting room during her cesarean and then finally Bryan came out with the news that it was 2 boys (see video below) and their names are Henry Misner and Riley Keith. They are perfect and such a long-awaited gift from our gracious Father! It was such a sweet gift for me to be there awaiting their arrival and then spend the first few days there with them. It was SO hard to leave my sister because it blessed me so much to be with her. I'm still in utter amazement that these sweet blessings are here. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the week....not necessarily in the right order.

The proud daddy with his new boys!

The last picture of the Clarke family of 5 (ready to leave for the hospital)

big brother Ethan

Sleepy mommy with Henry (on left) & Riley (on right)

big sister Ainsley

Grammy with Henry & Riley

Grandpa with Riley

I brought a little craft with me to do with Ethan, Owen & Ainsley. I so enjoyed my time there with them without all my kids. I feel like we bonded in a way we can't when I have my whole gang with me. Here is Ainsley painting her birdhouse.

Owen painting his jet and Ethan building his race car

Welcome home sign & balloons at their house

home sweet home

I'm already trying to convert them to become Clemson Tiger fans!
This is Henry

This is Riley

big brother Owen

I miss them already! I can't wait to see them again. Please continue to pray for healing for my sister and for the health of these little blessings! We are so grateful!

Here are a couple videos on their birthday!