Here Comes Santa Paws!

It's officially official! We've picked up our "pick of the litter!" Her name is Marley, after Jacob Marley in "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, although I'm sure a lot of people will think she's named "Marley" after the new "Marley and Me" movie that is set to be released later this month.

Lucky for us, Becca Jones agreed to "puppy-sit" for us until Christmas Eve. I'm not sure she knows what she's gotten herself into! Chelcie and I dropped at the sitter's house this aftenoon, but stayed for about an hour because we couldn't bear to leave her. She was having a blast running around playing with Becca's puppy. Chelcie left her t-shirt in Marley's bed so she could get used to the scent of us!

On a sadder note, I'm out of money and I just got paid yesterday. I had a little shopping spree today. My larger purchases were a rug for Addie's room, a new computer monitor for Tom's computer, and few little surprises for the kiddies! There is just not going to be a lot of "stuff" under the tree this year, and I'm hoping and praying that the absence of stuff will keep us focused on the real meaning of Christmas. It's home-cooking for the Crawford family until the end of January! Can you say B-U-D-G-E-T?!

We had a cut-throat game of Pictionary tonight and surprisingly everyone played and everyone got along. We even finished the game. Of course, the girls soundly beat the boys as we knew we would before we even agreed to play.

I've been struggling to finish Breaking Dawn, but I think I'll go ahead and put myself out of my misery and finish it tonight. Church at NorthStar tomorrow! I can't wait!

Spoiler Alert to any of my family members who may be reading this blog! Stop reading NOW and walk away. You don't want to ruin your Christmas surprise! Still reading? STOP! NOW! You can always come back and read next week.

Oh! One more thing worth noting-I came across a great website: wordle.net. I love it and hopefully, Mom, Lori, and Katie will too once they receive their Christmas gifts from me this year. I also hope that they are steering clear of the Crawford Chronicles this week.

Top Secret! Do NOT Read This!

School was a lot of fun today, but again I am getting home completely wiped out! We worked on Readers' Theatre. The kids enjoyed it and I could see an immediate improvement with their fluency and expression. After school, I headed home to pick up Drew and Chelcie. We made a quick stop at PetSmart to pick up a little red and white thing-y that we just might have to use when we pick out our little, furry, black...other thing-y.

Fortunately for us, we were able to find someone who had black lab mix puppies that have been spayed AND have had their shots AND have been de-wormed for the super low price of $0.00! Sounds too good to be true, no? Well, Missy, the poor young lady, who has acted as the liason between puppies and adoptive owners, has 12 dogs in her apartment! She has 3 dogs of her own, and there were NINE puppies. Four of the puppies were females and we got the first pick of the litter! Our yet to be named puppy was temporarily named Noel. We took some pictures to tied us over until Christmas Eve, and began thinking of possible names. Drew suggested Oprah, Whoopie, and other "black" names. He always makes us laugh. We've yet to make our decision. I'll record some possibilities here as we get closer to making our decision. Ideas? Feel free to send them to me! Hurry!

Start Spreadin' the News...

Okay, so maybe I'm NOT heading off to New York, New York just yet, but I did get my 2 minutes in the spotlight tonight on Hallerin Hill's Primetime Education Special. I was in the presence of some truly influential individuals! I was excited and nervous whenever I thought about the show airing today. I was hoping I didn't look old and wrinkly (like it matters), and I was hoping I didn't say anything that would embarrass myself or my family! All in all, it went well, especially considering that I was the only guest who does not have experience being in front of the camera.

My prayer now is that we will continue to honor God with Reach Them to Teach Them, and that He will continue to bless our efforts and provide more opportunities to grow.

Just had to share one of the most exciting things that has happened this week. Okay, it was THE most exciting thing that happened this week...so far! Gotta be an optimist!

Missing Christmas

I would like to share a wonderful Christmas Message, by Jeannie Headrick.

His voice was clearly speaking: "Missing Christmas once again?"
Confused, I whispered in my heart: "When did I miss it? When?"
His answer came so softly, I began to comprehend.
Just how I've missed Christmas; time and time again.
I missed the real Christmas, lingering near the tree.
Looking for presents, specially marked for me.
Then once again I missed it, by wasting precious time.
Preparing for my parties, cluttering up my mind.
Another time I missed that day, because of my concern.
That spending for the perfect gift, was more than I could earn.
So here I am again, this special day has come.
Will I see its Holy Truth, the birth of God's Own Son?
Oh, it's not in gaily-colored gifts, or trees adorned so bright.
But in Christ The Lord and Lamb Of God, The Way; The Truth; The Light.
It's not in parties or Saint Nick, not in spending all you earn.
It's in His Word, His Holy Word; and through His Truth we learn.
That Christmas Day is so much more; A Savior has been born.
God sent the gift of Christ to all, that special Christmas morn.
The wise men came, the Angels sang; the shepherds bowed their heads.
Peace On Earth, Goodwill To Men; was what the Angels said.
And so I bow before my King, the Sovereign God above.
I now can see and hear and feel, the wonder of His Love.
I'll miss Christmas not again, for now I really see.
The Love God has; He gave His Son, for all humanity.

Family Festivities

'Tis the Season...

My thank you note to Emmette Thompson, the Executive Director of the Mission of Hope:

Hi Emmette,

Well, I went on my first MOH delivery today. I went to Fairview School with Central Bapt. Church of Fountain City. Honestly, the first thing I noticed when I walked into the building was the large, prominently displayed, framed picture of the Ten Commandments. But there was little time to take in my surroundings; we had a tractor trailer full of toys to unload, unpack, and sort into designated rooms!

Once the gifts were sorted and displayed, we all met in the gym for official instructions and a story. One thing that caught my attention was the number of children and adults coming in with lightweight jackets even though the temperature was below freezing. There was snow on the ground, so much so that school had been canceled on Friday. Many of the kids wore plastic "Croc-style" shoes with no socks. Many parents' shoes were full of holes. I tried not to notice how warm and comfortable my feet were in my new fuzzy boots. I felt almost sick about it. I have so much more than I need.

My "job" was to help 6th, 7th, and 8th graders choose two gifts for themselves. When James told me that he was the quarterback for his football team and his team was Number One, I saw his eyes light up. Would you believe he asked me if we had any cologne because he wanted to smell good for the ladies! James said his dream was to go to college at UT. Then it hit me. What if James were MY son? What if I had been the mother who bundled up the kids and got them to school on a Saturday morning so that they would have a Christmas? What if MY son had shared his dream with a stranger from the city? I couldn't help notice as James left the school that his mother had her hands very full with several young children and a baby in her arms. I did battle with my thoughts as I considered that it was probably better that her hands were full, rather than empty. ...I wondered if James had the undivided attention of anyone besides me today. Then I met the principal, Mrs. Smith.

Mrs. Smith told me that she herself had grown up in Scott County and has been principal at Fairview for ten years. Although she mentioned she was looking forward to retirement, I could tell her heart was completely sold out to the children who darken the doors of Fairview every day. She knows that education is their only chance to break the cycle of poverty. She took me on a tour of the school and talked candidly about the violence and poverty her students experience on a regular basis. When I mentioned how neat and tidy the classrooms were, she said that her kids need a place where they know what to expect because they don't have that at home.

My goodness, Emmette! How can I thank you for allowing me to play such a small part in extending the hope?! I have received so much more than I have ever given! Thank you for coming by my classroom last Tuesday. Thank you for being such an encourager of my dream. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share the hope with my students at West Valley. Thank you for allowing me to go along on a MOH delivery. I saw God today in the faces of innocent, vulnerable children, in the faces of desperate, proud parents, in the faces of faithful, generous volunteers, and in faces of the committed, dedicated staff at Fairview School. You've given me the best gift I'll ever get for Christmas.

Thank you! May God continue to bless the ministry of the Mission of Hope and its fearless leader, Emmette Thompson! http://tinyurl.com/6sa67m

Amy Crawford

Start Speading the News...

My birthday was Sunday. The big 4-3! How can it be that I am 43 years old already? Does life pass this quickly for everyone, or is it just me? I honestly don't feel 43. Maybe because I'm immature and I still need my mom when I'm sick or lonely. I spent the day basking in the warm glow of my four precious blessings from heaven. Tom left early, so Addie, Sam, and I went to church at nine. I felt a little awkward sitting there on a whole row all by myself, but pretty soon Chris Ellis came to join me and it wasn't so bad after that. Once church was over, we picked up Chelcie and Drew and had delicious lunch at Moe's! Cloudy, cold, rainy day! After lunch, we made a run by Kroger for some provisions, then spent the entire day at home in front of a warm fire. The kids and I made red and green M&M cookies and the house smelled oh so yummy! As long we were stayed clear of Buffet, that is! She is still battling a nasty infection on her side. Tom wants to have her put down because she is so old, but other than the infection, she's getting along pretty well. She did struggle with the stairs this morning though...

Monday was a regular, back-to-school day. But Monday night was the West Valley Christmas party at the Sunsphere. We sat with April and Scott, Sherry Storms, and Kevin and Lydia Fowler. I enjoyed laughing with my school family.

Today was the highlight of the week, so far. I had the honor of being a selected guest on Hallerin Hill's WBIR Education Special to be aired December 16th from 7-8pm. I arrived at the studio at the same time John Becker did. He introduced himself to me and then I headed into "makeup" for a little "celebrity" treatment! The lady who did my make up said she was a chef and plans to open a concession trailer on Broadway and Central this summer with gormet tamales. Quite an interesting conversation. She is a 45 year old grandmother of one with another on the way. Her daughter is 21 and son is 9 and attends Mount Olive Elementary School. Then I had some publicity photos made by myself and then some with John and then some more with Hallerin and some with Hallerin and John. The whole experience was surreal to me!

After photos and makeup, it was time to get ready for the interview. YIKES! Talk about intimidation! I was with "professionals" here. Who was I to be in the presence of greatness? Everyone was incredibly nice to me! Hallerin, as always, made me feel right at home, just like I belonged there. John was interested and friendly. The camera guys, sound guys, producers and other folks were all so kind to me. John asked me at least 20 tough questions about school and Reach Them. I tried not to mess up too much and just prayed the whole time that God would speak through me. I didn't cry, which is a first for me, and everyone said I did a great job when it was over. Whether they really meant it or not, it sure did make me feel good. I hope Hallerin was pleased and will be able to find usuable "stuff" to include on the show.

Afterward, I headed home to "Momma" to share the gory details of my morning in "Hollywood." She was very supportive and encouraging as all mommas should be. I need to take note of that! For some reason I felt compelled to open my heart to her today and out came all my "junk." She was glad that I talked to her, and encouraged me not to keep so much inside. Easier said than done! At least for me. Before I knew it, Dad was home and it was time to pick the kids up from school.

After school, we had a special treat- ice cream at Sonic! We picked up Olivia and took her a long with us. Of course, she wanted to come over and play, so we went home for some downtime. Fortunately, "grandmom" called and said she'd made way too much soup and wanted us to come up to eat with her and "Papaw." THAT took some convincing! Olivia came along too and we enjoyed talking together in the dining room over our soup and crackers. Feels so good to have a place to call home. I hope I can provide such a place for my "adult" children.

Back home, Tom was not back from Jasper yet, so we just read books and got school stuff ready for tomorrow. I tied ribbons onto cookies for Mrs. Savage for her Christmas around the world activity. Nice to have some mindless task to focus attention on. Tom got home about 7:30. Just in time to say goodnight to the kids. Drew is quiet and spends his afternoons on the computer, or watching TV. Hearing about a lot of layoffs lately. Thankful to have a job...and tenure!