The Combs Krewe

Okay, so I KNOW it's not Friday but back in January I saw one of my professional photographer friends post about Project 365 . The idea is to take a photo a day (or in my case 2 or 10 a day) and chronicle your year. I'm definitely not a professional photographer and I don't have a fancy camera but I do love taking pictures especially of my kiddos. So I decided to participate! I thought I'd upload my photos each Friday and share them on here but yesterday was Friday and I didn't get around to it so here's my first Photo Friday, one day late! Sunday, January 1, 2012 Playing together. How I love this sight! Monday, January 2, 2012 " Brother won't share his cool toys with me!" Tuesday, January 3, 2012 Piper and I stayed up late waiting for Jackie and Jathan to get home from the Sugar Bowl. (We're thankful for the donor of the super cheap tickets!) One of us didn't make it.  Wednesday, January 4, 2012 Knitting for a new baby in ...

Can I let you in on a secret? On New Year's Day I bought a little notebook and each day since I've written in it. I'm hoping I have the guts to write unabashedly dear diary style. Then I'm hoping to use this record as notes for a book I've entitled Secrets of a Seminary Wife . I'm not talkin' secrets about how to get grass stains out of your little boys' jeans. I'm talking about a tell-all story about me--warts and all. It'll be like Tammy Faye Baker gets saved on Wisteria Lane. And maybe I will slip in some secrets on how to get grass stains out because, heck, we've gotta deal with that, too. Why? Because I wish the world knew what happens here. Here at seminary. Here in the heart of a believer. That we struggle. That half the people I know are on food stamps and Medicaid working their tails off trying to do what God has called them to do. That we sin, too--we get angry, we are lustful, we lie. That sometimes the only thing that keeps us ...

It sounds silly but the new year sort of sneaked up on me. Of course I knew it was coming but shouldn't I have planned an elaborate year end wrap up post? Shouldn't I have prepared for a fun, traditional New Year's Day lunch? Shouldn't I have a long list of resolutions (at least in my head)? Perhaps, but yesterday was December 31st and none of that was to be. I really didn't even think about it being the last day of the old year until the boys finally drug me outside and a friend mentioned resolutions. "Quick! Think of something you need to work on!" I thought to myself. Nothing immediately came to mind certainly not because I think I'm perfect of course. More because I don't fit into the typical resolution mold. I'm not trying to lose weight or quit smoking so what else is there? = P The friend I was talking with led me to a very important conclusion. The best resolution is to desire to grow closer to God because when you do that everything el...

Ever since I put the gifts under the tree Jathan has been begging and pleading anxiously awaiting the day that we would open gifts. I tried to tie in our wait with our advent studies and talk to him about how God promised a Savior and the world anxiously awaited His coming. I don't know if any of it sunk in or not but his attitude did dramatically improve over those last days of waiting. I decided that Tuesday of this week was the day. Jackie would be off work and it would be just a couple of days before we'd leave for Alabama so we could get up in the morning and pretend it was Christmas morning, open presents in our pajamas, and play all day. I told Jathan the night before--big mistake! He couldn't hardly sleep! When he got us up that morning, we told him we'd open gifts after breakfast. "I'm just going to sit here and look at the presents ALL DAY," he said. Jackie cooked a big breakfast for us. Then we all sat down to eat. Ryland practical...

Tonight we went on the 2nd Annual Combs Family Trip to Lafreniere Park to check out the Christmas lights! It was a wonderfully cool night after a series of rather warm ones. I was glad that it actually felt like the appropriate season!   Keeleigh's friend Nadia went with us. They were nuts cracking us up all night! Piper enjoyed the lights, too. When I took this picture she was just smiling her head off squealing. Isn't her little red nose the cutest? Thank goodness for hot chocolate and popcorn to warm us up! Yes, the popcorn was so delicious that Jathan and Ryland couldn't even pause for this picture, ha ha! Yep, had to get a photo of Jackie checking his phone. It's his love and taking pictures obsessively is mine. These are the wonderful things we remember all through our lives!

Last night our home school group was treated to a fabulous party by an anonymous donor with a really big heart. First we met at the cafeteria for pizza and cupcakes (and fruit and veggies for those so inclined). While we were there the president of the seminary spoke explaining that a certain Christian man threw this party for everyone along with a night out at Celebration in the Oaks at City Park which would include ice skating for everyone! That wasn't all, however, this anonymous donor also set up a $100,000 endowment fund for our home school group! On Christmas morning this donor's wife will open up a present from her husband and inside will be a scrapbook chronicling our night--his gift to us in her honor. I'm so thankful for generous hearts who love our Lord! Check out our pictures! Here Jathan and Ryland pose at the cafeteria after enjoying their pizza and cupcakes. Ryland took that candy cane for all it was worth, ha ha! I tried to get them to sing but Ryla...