Family Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas from the Cash's Home to Yours!

Hello Friends and Family,

If you are reading this it is because curiosity got the best of you or someone dared you to read it.

Here I am days before Christmas dreading writing a sappy Christmas letter telling everyone about all the good things that happened through out the year and leaving out all the trials and errors that were made through out the year. I decided I would let people know where they could go to read the Christmas letter instead of having the letter and pictures fall out of their Christmas cards. I do hope many of you actually received your card before Christmas and I am sure many of you did not because I am not a Martha Stewart type person who always has her act together. In reality, I am far from her. Here is the happening of the Cash's journey through out 2009 in photo form.

I am going to begin with last year's big performance of The Christmas Carol with Colton playing Bob Crachit.

We really began our year off hosting High School girls in our home for D-Now.

February brought me turning the BIG 45! I often wonder what big surprises I will receive each year as I become a year older. I am not talking gift wise, I am talking health wise. The body is beginning to tell me my age. I have to remember I am not 21.

Notice the reading glasses!

I am not alone when having a birthday in February. (Cough, cough as I say this next sentence.) Colton turned 18 this year. We had a wonderful time celebrating his birthday.


( I am not sure what was being said here.)

Not sure why there isn't any candles on this cake, oh, I remember. It is made of ice cream.

This brings us to March. I don't think Awana had crazy hair night in March, but this is to let you know that we are still all very involved in our church's Awana club. Carley did my hair.

Through out the year, we, the Cash's get this crazy idea of having an After Glow in our home for the youth. What this means is having many, many youth in our home with lots of food and a mad game of Rock Band.

In May, we had a week of celebrating Colton graduating from High School.

We had grandparents and one of Colton very best friends come and help us celebrate this pivotal moment in time.


Angela and Colton at Fast Eddy's.

These two haven't changed a bit since they were 7 and 5.

The day of graduation we took a pontoon boat out. Bad mistake. I now understand what light choppy water means.

We always take visitors to Pensacola to Lamberts where the food is fantastic and endless.

With graduation, comes lots of gifts.

Also in May, Carley graduated from the Chosen Girls Bible study. Carley is here with her friend Courtney.

In June, David, Carley and I headed to the Maryland/Virgina area for nearly three weeks. The ultimate goal was to get Carley and David to Awana Camp in Pennsylvania. We stopped in North Carolina to visit family and I stayed in Maryland to visit with my friends in the area. Colton was not able to go with us due to his taking more college classes while the classes were still free.

We spent the 4th of July with this cutie pie eying Carley's ice cream.

We stopped in Virgina to visit the Neiman Family. We had to relive our Japanese days with fried cheese rolls, Inarizushi-no-moto rolls, and Yakisoba.

Carley, Angela, and I making cheese rolls

Making rice pockets.

Eating the fruits of our labor.

These pictures were taken while in North Carolina.

Late in the summer, David had the opportunity to go to Atlanta to take a job related class. Carley and I tagged along when went sightseeing. We spent the day at the Atlanta Aquarium.

Before it became to cold, we had a family picture taken at the beach.

Picture taken by Howard Chunn @http://howardchunnphoto.com )

As summer comes to an end, that means school begins. If you happen to have a weak stomach, scroll through these next few pictures. Carley is dissecting a perch.

When one works at the Rave Motion Pictures and it is Halloween night, I suppose it is absolutely necessary to dress up as some kind of scary creature.

Early November our church had a block party at a local park. The youth praise band, known as GNS , had the opportunity to jam.

David and I are not sure where our children got the musical talent. We both know how to push play on I-Pods and CD players. That is the extent of our music talent.

Every December we have a girls trip to Atlanta to work with Operation Christmas Child. This trip include my mom, sister, Carley and me. We usually try to see at least on attraction while in Atlanta. This year we went to the Coke Museum.

December really isn't complete in our home unless we celebrate another birthday. (Another cough here along with a deep breath.) Our baby girl turned 16 this year.

Here we are celebrating her birthday with youth at the youth Christmas party.

Notice the huge smile on her face. This is what she gets to drive to the Whirl Cup Coffee shop where she works, to praise band practice, youth group activities, babysitting jobs, and any other places she needs to go.

Our family hopes you enjoyed a tour of this past year with us. Life is never dull in the Cash home. You will normally find laughter and joy here. There is only reason that we have so much joy. Even though life can get really hard, we always have Jesus and he is the One who makes our joy complete. (John 15:11) If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your eternal soul, I challenge you to seek the greatest gift known to man. God said in Jeremiah 29:13, "If you seek me, you will find me."

If you would like to come back again to visit, I would suggest to visit at the end of each month. I am not the best blogger in the world. Please feel free to leave comments.

Once again, Have a very Merry Christmas!

What I Won't Do for My Sparkies

This past Thursday night was Crazy Hair and/or Crazy Hat night at our Awana club. I am the Sparks director that is characterized by forgetting about the special theme nights until about 2 hours before we have to leave. I didn't have the creativity or time to make a crazy hat, but hair, I can do some crazy hair with some help from a crazy daughter. Here is hers and my master piece. The last picture was taken unbeknown to me by a friend who is quite sneaky with her cell phone. Notice that David wore a crazy hat.

This is David and me looking over some records. Don't we make a pair?

This week is spring break for Carley and me. I plan do some catching up with the up keep of house and yard work. My Weight Wathcher's leader has asked me to meet her at Publix to meet with the assistant manger to do a walk through the store to tag WW friendly food. I will be happy to help her with that project. Then there is the endless of laundy that needs to be done. I think every woman needs a laundry fairy. Forget the fairy godmother, I need the laundry fairy. Laundy is on my to do list too. Maybe I can post again before my mini vacation is over.

My First Born is EIGHTEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, someone please stop the clock of time for just an hour. I can't believe he is 18. I remember bringing Colton home from the hospital with the help of my mom and my friend Angie Haube. The Navy had called David out to sea before we could all come home together, but David was there for the birth of Colton. I looked at my mom and began to bawl. I had no idea what it meant to be a mom and felt very unqualified. I looked at my own mom and asked her, "What do I do? I have no idea what to do." What a feeling of complete helplessness. Guess what ? In spite of Colton's mom and dad, he has survived 18 years of imperfection parenting. If anything good comes out of this guy, it is all GOD.

Anyone wondering how we celebrated 18 years of Colton's life? I am glad you are wondering. Due to a busy day today, Colton's actual birthday, we celebrated his birthday yesterday before he went to work. Today we went to church, came home, inhaled lunch, then David, Colton, Carley, and Vincent, Colton's friend, went to a concert this evening.

Here we are doing what we all do best....eating.

We went to Lambert's, home of the throwed rolls, located in Foley, Alabama. Let me just say, the rolls are worth placing Weight Watchers on hold.

Lambert's doesn't believe in portion control either. Check out just how much food they insist on giving their patrons.

Did I mention Lamert's is southern cooking, down to the fried okra. Is there any other way to eat okra?

Here are some random pictures of Colton opening cards and his ONE gift. Colton decided he was ready to graduate from his Ulead video program to Adobe After Effects to further his video creativity. Adobe is a rather very expensive program. Colton received birthday money to help pay for Adobe.

My two strange guys.

Here we are stuffed and happy. We added a new member to our family, Brice. He is the guy in the blue with the red cap. He works for Lambert's and I guess he wanted his picture taken with us.

Here is the birthday cake with no writing, no candles,nothing but heavy laden calories. Colton wanted the famous Outta Sight Oreo Delight dessert. All I can say about this is ....SIN.

Maybe Colton will share, maybe not.

Today has been a great day for my first born. Where as for me, it has been a day of reflecting and praying for Colton. He is on the threshold of manhood and it will be a thrill to see how Colton chooses to live life. Let me say this. Life is NEVER boring when Colton is near by. Nothing will thrill his parents more than to be a man who is serving the Lord with all he has. May we be blessed to be thrilled.

We love you Colton!

Mom and Dad