Christmas Day...the PM volume

            After we ate lunch, we were ready to open presents.                              

 
 Creed was very ready. I love this picture because if you look out the window it looks like there is snow on the ground.

                                        

 Elizabeth with a picture Creed drew for her.  Jack and Creed made cards for everyone.
                                          
  Creed and Elizabeth opening presents together.

 Creed loves to build with his "wood" so Grandma added onto his set.  It amazes me what he can build.  Jack and Creed also got a bunch of army men so they have been building and playing with their army men together.    A funny thing about their army men is that some look like they are from the revolutionary war with muskets and colonel-type hats and some have on gas masks and some sort of gas weapon.  I don't think the boys have even noticed.

                                     
                                     Jack with some sort of bow and arrow hybrid gun thing.
     

Jon and Anne Michal checking out a CD.

                                     Poor Janey Kate napped through the present opening. She got a solo show later.
                                    

 

 As usual, we went to the Coleman's for dinner and the annual present exchange with all the kids. Creed is very anxiously looking on while Wade opens his train.
       

 

Spencer!  He informed me several weeks before Christmas, "I get trains for Christmas!'

     

Creed's buddy Noah opening his gift.  

 I love how everyone is always so interested in what everyone else is getting.

 A small touch of excitement....

 Janey Kate helps Anne Michal with her gift.

 Party is over and heading home,but thankful every day for the savior's birth!

November/December 2011 Book Log

Deep Freeze by Patricia Hall
Skeleton at the Feast by Patricia Hall
White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones
Swing by L.L. Enger
Dead Reckoning by Patricia Hall
Death in Dark Waters by Patricia Hall
Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson
The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indridason
Living the Resurrection:  The Risen Christ in Everyday Life by Eugene Peterson
The Great Divorce:  A Dream by C.S. Lewis
Paul for Everyone:  Galatians and Thessalonians by N.T. Wright
The Message of Thessalonians:  The Gospel and The End of Time by John Stott
The Epistles to the Thessalonians:  A Commentary on the Greek Text by Charles Wanamaker
1-2 Thessalonians by G.K. Beale
1&2 Thessalonians:  The Hope of Salvation by James Grant
The Letters to the Thessalonians by Gene Green
Getting Back in the Race:  The Cure for Backsliding by Joel Beeke
Bloodlines:  Race, Cross, and The Christian by John Piper
Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell by Owen Strachan
Jonathan Edwards on the Good Life by Owen Strachan
Awaiting a Savior:  The Gospel, the New Creation, and The End of Poverty by Aaron Armstrong
The Divine Commodity:  Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity by Skye Jethani
With:  Reimaging the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani

Christmas 2011 Post I...Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning

 We almost didn't think we'd pull it off, but what is Christmas without staying up until 2 am.

 

I even managed to finish(minus tabs to hang them ;-)) the stockings I had been talking about making for the past 6 years.

On Christmas Eve we went to our annual Christmas Eve candlelight service which we always look forward to. (I forgot to take my camera to church) Afterwards we usually eat something light and then open a gift that that we know to be a book.  That way the kids can read their book while winding down for the night.  Jack had also bought gifts for everyone and was so excited that we opened his gifts as well.   He was so proud to give me a big bag of chocolates.:-)

 

Anne Michal and Creed open Christmas Eve presents.

 All the kids on Christmas morning before stockings.

 Anne Michal with hers while Creed coughs in the background. He has been a bit under the weather.

 Creed with his.  He was very excited for Christmas. 

 Janey Kate snagged her baby doll from her stocking.

 Jack helping her with the rest of hers.

 Emma looking at a necklace.

 
 Jack with his annual toothbrush.

Janey Kate helped Anne Michal with hers.

  Elizabeth got her favorite flipflops replaced with a bigger pair and conveniently hid her face with them. She wears them year round as much as possible.

 

Creed and Jack wearing their spy glasses!

...next post Christmas afternoon and evening.

In Case You Have Forgotten

what Anne Michal looks like, Creed drew a picture of her.  Apparently her nose is above her eyes.  He seemed genuinely surprised that I didn't know who that was. ;-)

Just Because

Knox--Dec2006

We see this same look on Janey Kate's face so often!

Janey Kate turns One!!!!!

     Today our Janey Kate turned one. I cannot even put into words how thankful I am for this little girl.  I am pretty sure my pregnancy was more like 3 yrs instead of 9 months.  It seemed like it anyway as it was very rough physically.  There were times I thought I'd literally lose my mind, but I knew it would end and bring  sweetness with that end. I'd do it all over in a heartbeat.  She can be a bit high maintenance, this girl of mine, but she is such a delight.  She is always on the go, but is learning to enjoy a quick cuddle now and then and loves to give hugs and kisses.
    I always have to fight (or accept) waves of sadness on birthdays.  I always miss Knox more than usual on special days.  Birthdays are such fun and greatly anticipated days in our house, and I miss sharing those with him.  Birthdays also mark the passage of time...time without him.  However, I was thinking today about Janey Kate, Knox and a friend of mine whose mother is nearing the end of her pilgrim days and how today could be the day she enters eternity. That day could be shared with Janey Kate's birthday.
     I used to not want special days like birthdays to be shared with Knox's anniversary days...birthday, accident, death...and it still would be very hard. Knox was born on October 27th, 2005.  Janey Kate was born on November 27th, 2010.  She is exactly 5 years and 1 month younger. Anway, I know this is random and rambling, and all they share is the number of the day, but somehow it is a reminder to me in yet another way of Our God, Ordainer of all things, Orderer of our world, and Giver of Good Gifts.  A reminder that in my continual sadness there is also continual blessing and joy and maybe, while we cannot know the mind of God, the gift of life can be a reminder that he is still with us and caring for us in the midst of loss.
  This is a birthday post, so of course, there must be pictures and pictures of us making merry.   She is becoming increasingly difficult to take pictures of since she is never still!!!!! But here there are!!!


Elizabeth continues her stint as birthday decorator.

The little dolls in cups are a matching color game that she made for Janey Kate.  I'll post more pictures of that another day.  We got the idea from pinterest.;-)

She made her a strawberry banner.



 
Opening presents with Lizzy...brown paper packages tied up with string! 



It is a made-by-mommy doll with a matching dress.

 Playing with another toy.

 She kept hitting the toy with her hand and the she'd throw it back and look at it. So cute!

 Showing off her birthday dress while dancing to music.

Giggling with her sisters.

 I think Creed sat here for two days waiting for cake!

 Miss Peggy helped her sneak a lick of icing.

 Eating a bit of dinner first.

 Cake! White cake with homemade strawberry icing made by Elizabeth.

 

 Posing with her doll for a picture.

 

 And in case there was any doubt that she might be a drama queen, this is totally feigned surprise on her part. She wasn't reacting to a thing; just making funny faces. :-)

Thank you friends who came to celebrate though I somehow didn't get pictures.

Love you Mallory Jane Katharine, our favorite one year old.  You make our lives more joyful and give us much to be thankful for!!!!!!!