Scenes from our Christmas Season 2011

Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas Season 2011 has been a whirlwind of activities...as usual. 
Over the last year I've had the privilege of working on new Advent banners for our church.  Each Sunday of Advent a different family would come into the Worship Center with a banner, light an Advent candle, do a reading and pray.  It was so exciting to see 'my' banners come out so beautiful, and most of all ~ used for the Glory of God.  I feel so blessed to have had a part in this part of our services.


Week 1 - with Vincent G.

Week 2 w/ Katie and Monty S.

 Week 3

 Week 4

 Hanging Separately...

And finally, on Christmas Eve, hanging together!

Christmas Day - Blake and Karl played music in the Worship Center lobby as folks came in. 

 Christmas Eve - Blake playing the alto recorder during the Lord's Supper.

Ian playing bass in the Praise Band on Christmas Morning.


Christmas Eve candlelight - Pastor Kevin.

Our VERY Unique 'Tree'
This year Christmas was bittersweet due to the passing of dear Pops.  With everything going on, we never go around to getting a tree. So my solution was to do something different. Behold, the McMichen Christmas 'Tree'...

Yes, it's crazy, funny, unique, silly, quirky, and WAY out of the box. And it made Blake laugh during a time when he truly needed that laughter - therefore, it's perfect for us this year.

From outside our window, thanks to the shape and the lights, our tree actually looked like a regular Christmas tree.  Cole was astonished by this view and exclaimed "WOW, it really does look like tree! Now people won't think we're a bunch of rednecks!" hahaha!  One of the absolutely funniest moments of the season!

The more I looked at it, the more I liked our unconventional 'tree'. It's bright, cheerful, and makes us happy...isn't that everything you ever need in a Christmas tree!

Christmas Eve Goober Portrait...

 I convinced Riley to 'sic' Ian.   Riley is not normally allowed on the couch, but he enjoyed this moment.  Ian was completely pinned down by the 100 lb beast.

Most people have to worry about their cats getting into their Christmas tree.  Cole got into ours....

 and got stuck!

Christmas Morning had it's usual fun....

 A shirt that was made just for Cole!   (I've accused the boy of treating ketchup as a 'tomato smoothie!')

 Ian, got a couple of Star Wars shirts...perfect for him.

 Blake with his new hat and overalls.

 Cole was a little bit excited about his new Warhammer stuff...

 Ian was over-the-top excited about Skyrim....despite the insane look on his face, he's really happy and excited.

 Riley with our tree.

 I made the boys a special gift ~ bacon scarves!

 Christmas night...Cole with his Warhammer goodies.

 Christmas Night - Ian intently playing Skyrim.

 A nice picture of Ian, prepared to go to church and play his bass.

Christmas with the rest of the family....
More nonsense. More fun. A few bittersweet moments, but all in all, a day filled with love, hugs, and family.

Ma with the lovely wooden box Rusty made her.

 Pam and Rusty with their Redneck Wineglasses we made them.

 Alan with his new Bacon Scarf.

Blake with some new Taz pj pants.

Ian with his new soft, fuzzy blue blankie... maybe now he'll quit stealing mine!

Alex the 'ketchup hound' got a unique surprise from us...a GIANT bottle of ketchup!

Alan with his surprise tire iron.

 Nicole has been tormenting Aaron and Alan with hints and clues about their gifts. It has been driving these two crazy!  Now they finally get to open it....

 And they found 120-shot Roman Candles.  Right down their alley!

Rusty with a shirt perfect for him!

Three Uber-Bacon-Goobers!

Flying the Millieum Falcon hover craft. Rusty had it under control, but Pam looks concerned.

Most of us.

Four-eyed Blue-Goober Attack!!!!!

A bittersweet moment when Blake gave Ma the poem he wrote about Pops.
So sweet, but made us all cry.

And, just a few more pictures....
Bacon Scarf in the pan.

Pretty!

Blake & I.

Ian (18) and Cole (13).

By the way, from mid-Christmas morning on, the pictures were taken with my NEW camera. Wahoo!!  Blake found the discontinue D3000 that I've been wanting and surprised me.  Yes, I'm still doing the happy dance!

The Reason for the Season....

To God be the Glory!   Merry Christmas!

In loving memory of Pops

I've never blogged about a funeral service and honestly, never wanted to... but this was such a special day, filled with blessings and love, I feel it should be preserved.

After a couragious battle with cancer, Blake's dear father, Pops, went home to Jesus on Wednesday, December 7th.   While our hearts are heavy, we rejoice that he is no longer sick or in pain. He's home.  Things kinda happened fast here at the end, but I look upon that as God's mercy and grace.  And today we sent Pops off exactly how he would have wanted it....

Blake's brother, Rusty, works for a cabinet shop and the owner, Leonard, is also a dear friend of Ma and Pops. (They all do SCV rifle aand cannon shoots together.) Pops always told Leonard he wanted him to build him a 'pine box' when the time came.   Last Friday Pops asked Leonard if he was ready to build his box. Leonard replied 'no, but he would if had to', meaning he really didn't want Pops to go, but he would honor his request. The minute Leonard got the call on Wednesday morning he dropped everything, went home to a stack of Georgia white pine cut from his own property and personally selected the lumber. Then he stopped all the work in his shop and they set to work to make a 'pine box' for Pops. This pine casket was handcrafted by loving hands in less than 2 days. The guys at the shop felt it an honor to make Pops' final resting place, and  Blake and Rusty also helped on the finishing touches. It was so beautiful. Simple, sweet, and absolutely perfect. (Based on the comments and questions asked at the visitation and funeral, Leonard could make a fortune selling these, if he chose to pursue this side-line business out of his cabinet shop!)   We propped Pops favorite fishing pole up next to the casket, and scattered his favorite fishing lures on the spray of greenery on top, as well as his SCV cap. On the front and top of the casket a simple cross made of walnut. Tucked inside his coat pocket, was a silly picture he had kept  that I took of Dasher, Pops' beloved dog.   Clasped in his hand was a sprig of hemlock pine from the tree that grows outside the kitchen where all the little birdies and squirrels gather to eat the seeds he always provided for them. This tree was transplanted from a tiny sprig that Ma brought back from a camping trip to Lake Conasauga, and planted in honor of Ian's birth.   Next to the casket was a picture of Pops taken when they visited their friends the McKenzies at Dunnottar Castle in Scotland. In this picture Pops was dressed in a kilt, jauntily leaning against the castle-lodge wall.    

Rusty and Blake picked out several songs... Angel Band (from the Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack), Do You Know, Wayfaring Stranger, and best of all  ~ we exited the chapel to 'McMichen's Reel'...played from an old recording of Clayton McMichen, a famous fiddler from the early 1920-30s, who was kin to Pops.   He would have wanted us to carry him out in celebration, with a happy song.

Upon arriving at the cemetary, a piper played for us. Pops loved the pipes, so Ma requested a piper play for us. Amazing Grace, as well as a few other hymns, and finally a lively 'Scotland the Brave'.  It gave me chills...in a good way, (although it was also VERY cold and windy out there today!)



Late last night (the night before the funeral), Blake put down these words about his dear Daddy....

 ~ He Cared ~
He was a gentle man...
Always Caring,
Always Sharing,
His own troubles
   Rarely impairing him.
He cared for us all.

He was a Gentleman.
Always thoughtful...
Rarely boastful,
Life was never
   Doubtful to him,
he cared for us all.

And he was a genteel man...
Respectful of God's Light,
Always and ever so polite,
Life fully knighted him
To care for us all.

He was always there...
Ever in waiting,
Ever permeating
   Our life's urgent call,
Because he cared for us all.
                                            HBMc 12/9/11

All in all, it was a hard day, but also a beautiful day filled with blessings.
It's been a loooooooong day.... filled with tears, sorrow, and heartache but it was also covered with prayers, memories, stories and moments of loving joy. We sent Pops off just how he would have wanted it. And I'm so happy to have known him, and loved him, and been loved by him.   Despite all the pain, I just feel so incredibly blessed.
 
Having our family, our church family, and friends near and far surround us in their love and support is an awesome experience. Words can not express how folks have made us feel.  I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your prayers, words of comfort and support.   Having this blessing, the Lord's comforting arms around us, and by leaning on each other, we'll carry on...just as Pops would want us to do.  

Thanksgiving 2011

The sights of Thanksgiving 2011....
(In no particular order.)

Cole with a big ol' Florida Grasshopper-bug!   I remember seeing these when I was a kid...I usually encountered them face-to-face when climbing a tree.

Cole, Ian and  Levi - sitting on the porch waiting for the dinner bell to ring.

Many a Hancock as passed the time of day on this front porch.
Cole enjoying a quiet moment with his book.

Courtney with her favorite pie!  (My Peppermint Chocolate pie tastes just like an Andes Candy. YUM!)

Me, sitting on the porch...the ceiling has ALWAYS been this bright blue.

Blake, after a fun day of golfing with the Neanderthals...their annual Thanksgiving week tradition.

Cole checking out the sandhill cranes at the golf course.

Golfing Goobers!!!!!  All we need now is the Dancing Gopher from Caddie Shack!

Ian...who finished the first draft of his novel while we are visiting FL.  A change of scenary must be good for the creative soul.

Mama, Wilbur, and David....with their Thanksgiving meal aftermath.

Blake's artsy photo of some moss early in the morning.

Mama with her hairiest grandchild...Riley.  He just snuggled up to her, sat down and smiled for the camera.

Mama with some of her grandkids....Levi, Courtney, Ian, Cole....and Riley.

Levi, Mama, and David.

Cole, Blake, Me, Ian...and Riley, of course.

Gary, Courtney and Carol with Mama.

Connie and Johnnie with Mama.

And me, with my dear big brothers, Gary, Johnnie, David, and Mama.

The Hancock Family Thanksgiving annual photo.


I'm so thankful for my family. 

Unto Us A Child Is Born!

The Advent Banners for FBCLS are finally done. Wahoo!
This definitely was a looong term project. I mentioned it in my 'Goals' post back in January, and started collecting the fabrics. Over the last several months I've enlarged the pattern & drafted it onto the fusible. and I'm so happy to say that it's finally finished as of yesterday...November 4th. It wasn't a HARD project, but at times, very tedious. My favorite part about it are the fabrics. The bright fabrics just really sing! I love it.

I have to give a HUGE thanks to Sherry H. and Vickie T. for helping with the cutting out of all those pieces. We had a lot of fun at our impromptu Saturday night 'cutting party'! AND a SUPER-GIANT Thank You to Pam for helping me during our marathon assembly day yesterday. Our brains work well together, and together we got 'er done in our "Shake an' Bake" style of quilting/crafting & sewing.... 'I helped!'.

UPDATE - Dec. 21st....  Each Sunday of Advent a different banner has been brought in by the family who does the Advent Reading/Candle lighting.  Its really been lovely seeing the banners displayed in our Worship Center.  But they were displayed separately - not as a group.  BUT  on Christmas Eve our congregation will finally see them assembled together into one and here's a sneak peak....

I am thrilled beyond words to have these banners in our church. 
I had fun making them, but to God be the glory!

Halloween 2011

Our Halloween was pretty low-key this year. The boys are getting older, I didn't have a lot of time to invest in sewing major costumes, and money is tight as usual...so the boys pretty much came up with their own costumes. Easy on the wallet, and easy for everyone involved.

Ian is Leonard, a nerdy character from the tv show 'Big Bang Theory". He greased his hair back, wore an old pair of Blake's glasses (with no lenses), and imitated Leonard's nasally voice perfectly. He even had the fidgeting mannerisms. Good job Ian! (BBT is one of the boys' absolute favorite shows.)

Cole is a weird Redneck Goober. Sometimes he turned the beard around to hang behind his head & had a 'mullet' look going. All in all - a fun, easy costume. No major hassles to make or wear. Wahoo!

Alex is a Ninja! Pam did a GREAT job of using just t-shirts on this outfit. The 'mask' is a t-shirt with the sleeves tied behind his head. The grey 'vest' is a t-shirt with the sleeves tucked up. A little red fabric - sash. And a little red ribbon adds some nice color highlights to the costume.

Bella Comes to Visit

Bella has come to visit us.

Bella is a tiny little dog...that doesn't know she's a dog. Riley is handling this visit like...well, like Riley handles everything. He's says 'Okay. That's cool. Just love me and feed me, and I deal with it.' He's shared his toys ...but she has torn a few of them up. (Rude guest doggie!) And he's shared his bed....she sneaked up there. And he's even given her a bed. But Bella still doesn't know she's a dog.

Bella had the pleasure of being with us on Halloween....
Can you find her in the picture? Usually Riley ends up in the Halloween picture with Ian and Cole, but not this year.

Bella feels safe and secure...if she's in Blake's arms.

Every time he leaves the house, she worries, whines, frets, runs around frantically, and howls. Despite trying to comfort and calm her, she howls...and we laugh because it sounds like Riley on helium! (See the video on Facebook. It's hysterical...Ian and Bella howling!)

Bella is tiny. Technically, She's a miniature dachshund. That means even in the little-dog world, she's short! I actually measured her legs....and

I don't think she's really a wienie dog...I think she's a COCKTAIL Wienie Cheesedoodle!

Bella likes to play. If it makes a squeaky sound, shes on top of it. She doesn't run, she ZOOMS! Like "Speedy Gonzales" - she instantly arrives.

While Bella is here, she's had to learn a few lessons...
* Dogs do not sleep on the bed with people.
* Dogs are not allowed on the furniture.
And most of all...
* DOG DO NOT GET ON THE TABLE and STEAL FOOD!!! BIG no-no. I bopped her little hiney for that tonight and hurt her feelings. Here she is hiding in Bobbin's 'cat box'. Bobbin usually sleeps here...but has temporarily abandoned it due to Bella-contamination issues.

Bella's visit has taught us a few things like...
* We are not little dog people. We like BIG dogs. If I trip over Riley and fall down on him, he pads my fall and doesn't get hurt. (Yes, this has happened...more than once!) I wouldn't want to see that happen with Bella. *Shudder!*
* Camping with a big dog gives you a safe, secure feeling. Riley's deep serious bark could warn away bears, coyotes, and wild hogs. Bella = bait. 'Nuff said.
* Riley's easy going ways and good manners have us completely spoiled.
He knows the rules and fits in. He's a dog and knows his place, but
also is completely loved and adored by our family.
* Visitors are nice, but they need to learn the household rules...
and NOT leave 'doggie doodles' on the carpet!

So whiles she's here, we'll love her and take good care of her, try to teach her some manners and most of all - educate her that she is a D-O-G DOG.