Advent

I love the advent season. I love all the special things we do as a family to prepare for Christmas. I love teaching my kids that the Christmas season is a special time to serve and love others. I especially love celebrating advent by focusing on Jesus. We've used different books and have done it different year to year but the past two years we've used a book called Jesus - The Promised One. It has a devotional for every day of the month of December and a little book, gold pen and stickers for the kids. I was most effected the other day when it said "We would probably not celebrate Jesus' birth unless God accepted His death as a substitute for our death." Focusing on the gospel, Jesus birth, life, death and resurrection, is what makes the Christmas season truly special. It conjures up in me genuine feelings of joy, hope, peace and thankfulness.

This past month has also been incredibly busy with school, basketball, a variety of christmas banquets, parties, decorating, baking, a birthday, shopping, choir practices, seeing the big train display, going to see "A Christmas Carol" at the Wells Theater and "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Naro. Here are some pics of the last month.

Our "Happy Birthday Jesus Cake" for our get together with the Williams and Waskos.
Brian asking some questions about Christmas.
Pulling out the decorations.
Making ornaments for the kid's tree upstairs.
Ryan's work of art.
The kids even decorated Annie.
The christmas tree decorated mostly by the kids with all their ornaments given to them over the years.

The kids all worked on this together thanks to the Napiers.

Christmas goodies for the neighbors including dog treats made by Sarah.
Advent time with daddy strumming a little background carol.

On Christmas Eve all the other pastors and their families came over for dinner before church which included twenty-one children. They are all looking at their christmas sticker books.

Happy Birthday Sarah

Sarah turned nine years old on December 11th. It was a really fun day. Eric took her to Panera for breakfast as he usually does with all the kids. For lunch we went over to the Wasko's to celebrate with them and the Williams, Madison and Laura are her birthday buddies (share the same b-day). After lunch we went to see Enchanted. The kids and I loved it. Aunt Michelle stopped by to give Sarah her card and in keeping with tradition had a variety of options for what they could do together to celebrate. Then Elise, Sarah's cousin, came down to play and have dinner with us. It was a perfect "Sarah" day spending it with her family and good friends, enjoying the simple pleasures of life, happy and grateful for it all. Oh yes, and she did receive what she asked for: brown pants and a ceiling fan for her bedroom.

Sarah's animal pictures from Williamsburg

When I went to Williamsburg with my family I saw lots of animals. First, I saw two horses with a carriage. Then I saw two oxen in the middle of the street. After that I saw a really pretty carriage with some more horses. Then I walked over to see the sheep. Sometimes there are baby lambs. As I was leaving I saw a dog and cat in a yard of a colonial house. The most surprising animals I saw were the four monkeys in a tree!

four monkeys in a tree

Catching up on Fall

The following are random pictures from this fall as I attempt to quickly try to catch up. Hopefully, I'll begin doing a better job taking, downloading and posting our pics.

These two are from soccer. All the kids played this year. Matthew and Sarah were on an undefeated team and Ryan and Rachel were on an older team. We love the soccer season!!

This is our annual fall visit to Williamsburg which is less than an hour away. Usually the trees have already changed colors but it seems like it's taking forever this year.


The boys played flag football with Eric on Sundays after church. Matthew and Ryan love playing football. Ryan had six touchdowns this year and Matthew had alot of great flag capturing or whatever it's called.

The dads take turns being quarterback.
Our new thanksgiving banner that Rachel and I made. Inspiration came from an old Pottery Barn catalog and my sister in law, Heather, who is great at seeing things and recreating them.
While watching Augie and Heather's kids last week........
The candy store in Williamsburg - always our last stop!
I love this picture of my kids, of course, but what a beatiful live oak.

It's hard to believe that fall is wrapping up and the Christmas season is beginning. The past few months have been very full and fun. This really is a great season with the kids. I'm so grateful for each one of them and for Eric - my great husband and best friend!

Our "Dream House"

We moved eight months ago but not all of you have been able to see our new home. While we were waiting for our old house to sell Sarah had named our new house "dream house". The wait for our house to sell seemed like forever and we all waited in great anticipation to move. Even only eight months later I can forget how eager I was to live here and become complacent in my gratefulness and joy at moving to a bigger house for our family, a neighborhood where the kids could play outside and with friends and family only houses away. I am very grateful for this house that the Lord provided for us. I am grateful to our wonderful friends who helped us paint, paint and paint.

This is the front foyer. Eric laid the hardwood floor in here and the dining room.



The living room to the left of the foyer.



Eric widened this doorway into the kitchen about a foot. Great Job!


The family room along with the whole downstairs trim was painted white. Fireplace too.


Our new kitchen






The dining room where we also do school



I really love our downstairs bathroom - I know that sounds weird but it has a shower. It's nice for the boys to have a seperate bathroom. These are lighthouse pictures that my friend Melanie took on one of our vacations to the outter banks.


Screened porch out back


We vacationed at home this past June. The kids named all the rooms. This is the master bedroom




Sarah's room though she sleeps with Rachel every night



Rachel's big girl room that also becomes our guest room



The boys have the biggest room which they love. One side has their stuff and the rest is just the playroom.