Categories
Family

Home For Christmas

This year we were home for Christmas. That may sound normal to you, but we’re usually flying some place and spending it with our extended family so being home is a nice change of pace.

As our little family grows it’s fun to start and/or continue traditions. One tradition Bethany grew up with was eating breakfast on the floor in the living room, beneath the tree. We have continued this the past 2 years and it’s a fun way to start Christmas day. This year we enjoyed sausage, bacon, eggs, and freshly baked cinnamon rolls! After that we broke open the stockings and started tearing into the wrapping paper. Since we have family out of state we open presents “together” over video chat which definitely saves money on airfare, but doesn’t replace actually being together in the same room. We still had fun giving and receiving gifts and our families are always very generous.

Christmas 2012

Bethany got some new everyday dishes, a few books, and some clothes. I got books, books, and more books. They are basically all I ask for so I’m stoked (more on this in another post). Titus got a bunch of toys but all he really cares about is the remote control car Nana got him. Honestly, it’s a pretty cool car so I totally understand his never-ending desire to run that thing all around the house. And finally, Avery got a real metal shopping cart (mini size), a few dolls, and of course some clothes–girls always get clothes.

We have been greatly blessed this year and it’s a great joy to celebrate the birth of Jesus. More than ever before I feel like I’ve been thinking about Christ’s death more than his birth. Christ knew his purpose and from birth he was destined for the cross. Praise God for his sovereign plan in saving us and for Christ’s humility in coming as a baby and paying for our sins on the cross!

Here’s a few photos of our Christmas day:

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012

Not enough Thomason Christmas for you? Click here for more photos.

Categories
Family

The Craziest Christmas Party We’ll Ever Go To

One of the perks of working for a company owned by a billionaire is being invited to his mansion in Malibu to play in the snow. Yes, you read that last sentence correctly.

Today we spent the day at John Paul Dejoria’s house, owner of Paul Mitchell hair care (the company I work for). It was our second time attending this crazy event, but last year we had a brand new baby (she was just 3 weeks old) and the experience just wasn’t as much fun as this year. I’m hard pressed to try and describe all of what this party is, so here’s a few photos with some descriptions below each to try and help make sense of it all.

Christmas Party at JP's
Titus standing on the snow as we walk up JPs driveway.

Christmas Party at JP's
At the top of the driveway we were greeted by huge snowflake balloons. Did I mention they were huge?

Christmas Party at JP's
Founder and owner of Paul Mitchell and Patron, John Paul Dejoria (aka: “JP”) shaking hands with friends and employees. We got to take a picture with him shortly after this photo.

Christmas Party at JP's
In-N-Out truck! #1, no onions with extra spread.

Christmas Party at JP's
Titus waiting for his In-N-Out cheeseburger.

Christmas Party at JP's
Avery being cute in her stroller as we wait for our In-N-Out burgers.

Christmas Party at JP's
The family is happy as we finish our lunch and head into the party!

Christmas Party at JP's
This is JP…as a sculpture/fountain. Did I mention he is a billionaire?

Christmas Party at JP's
This is the snow hill. The Pacific Ocean is in the background just behind the huge blow up Santa. If you look to the left you’ll see the “real” Santa sitting on his “thrown of lies!”

Christmas Party at JP's
A sign pointing the way to the kid’s play area.

Christmas Party at JP's
On the way to kid’s play area is a huge dessert table thing. It was ridiculous.

Christmas Party at JP's
Another dessert table thing. Pretty sure the cotton candy on the tree was real. And the people off to the right are waiting in line for their custom screen printed t-shirts.

Christmas Party at JP's
Looking down on JP’s tennis courts which held the kid’s play area.

Christmas Party at JP's
Titus enjoy some bubbles in the kids’ play area.

Christmas Party at JP's
The bubble guy trying to show Titus how to make a really big bubble.

Christmas Party at JP's

Christmas Party at JP's
Titus looking through a huge bubble.

Christmas Party at JP's
They had a race track and Titus picked the yellow car.

Christmas Party at JP's
Here comes Titus’ yellow car down the stretch.

Christmas Party at JP's
Titus playing lego basketball. I didn’t know such things existed.

Christmas Party at JP's
Titus playing at the lego table. Vroom!

Christmas Party at JP's
Avery puts her hand on a giant rocking horse.

Christmas Party at JP's
Titus playing with the bubbles again.

Christmas Party at JP's
A huge bubble floats by as Avery goes in for the pop.

Christmas Party at JP's
Pop!

Christmas Party at JP's
Me: “Titus stand in front of the reindeer and say ‘cheese'” Titus: “cheese.”

Dick Van Dyke
And last but not least, the celebrities. Among them, the man with the rubber legs: Dick Van Dyke. We saw him coming up the driveway as we were leaving so I went back for a paparazzi shot. To his left is Suzanne Somers in the furry hat. A few others were Ben Folds and Jesse James. You know us Thomasons, always hanging with the celebs!

Categories
Christianity

JOY

Steven Curtis Chapman - JoyIf there’s one thing that permeates our house around Christmas it’s music. Sure, we enjoy our egg nog and peppermint bark as much as the next person, but there’s just something fun about turning up some new or classic Christmas songs. Each year Bethany and I spend a couple bucks on one or two new albums and this year the favorite has to be Steven Curtis Chapman’s new Christmas album JOY.

It’s full of the classics like “Joy to the World”, “Do You Hear What I Hear,” and “What Child is This?” And he’s thrown in some fun ones like “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” which has a cool jazzy vibe to it. But what I think I appreciate most about Steven Curtis Chapman in general, and which comes out strong on this record is honesty. His song “Christmas Card” is written like a message to those who may be without the hope of Christ this year. In a season where we celebrate the birth of our Savior there are still many who don’t know Him. It’s an honest song with a clear message to Christians: people are broken, they need Jesus, and Steven reminds us why we’re celebrating: “So every lost and lonely broken heart would get found.”

Thank you Steven Curtis Chapman for reminding me that there’s still work to do. Let’s celebrate our Savior and then let’s tell everyone about why He came.

Categories
Family Videos

Christmas Tree 2012

Every year for the past 4 years we have put together a video of our family decorating our Christmas tree. It’s been a fun little tradition that we’ve enjoyed doing together. This year’s video is up and you can watch it below. For past years, you view them here: 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Christmas Tree 2012 from Shay on Vimeo.

 

Categories
Family

Christmas In November

My (Shay) parents drove out from Kentucky for a visit this week and they came bearing gifts. We didn’t have a tree, but we had Christmas music playing and enjoyed watching the kids tear into gifts from grandma and grandpa. Here’s a few photos:

IMG_2259.jpg

Christmas in November

Christmas In November

Christmas In November

Christmas In November

Christmas In November

Christmas In November

Christmas In November

Christmas In November

Categories
Books Christianity Inspiration Personal Photography Shaycam.com

Input

Literally every book I got for Christmas (2010). 2011 is shaping up to be the year of “input” (and if you don’t get that reference, go watch Short Circuit). I haven’t decided whether or not I’m going to try and read all of them this year. That would basically be one book a month and a few them are in the 500 page range. If I can resolve to read twenty minutes a day, I think I could it–the real question is do I want to? The verdict is still out on that. Either way you can expect reviews on everything I read.

All the books listed from the top of the stack to the bottom (in the above photo):

1. Worldliness by C.J. Mahaney
2. Whatever Happened to Worship by A.W. Tozer
3. Dedication and Leadership by Douglas Hyde
4. Letters From a Father to His Sons in College by Samuel Miller
5. The Dumbest Generation by Mark Bauerlein
6. Why We Love The Church by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck
7. How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer
8. Gospel-Powered Parenting by William P. Farley
9. The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
10. Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky
11. The Apostles’ Doctrine of the Atonement by George Smeaton
*12. Style and the Man by Alan Flusser

*not pictured

Categories
Family Friends Personal Shaycam.com Video

Christmas Tree 2010

Christmas Tree 2010 from Shay on Vimeo.