A Quick Christmas Recap

The Fabulous Four find the perfect treeWe have a family tradition of sleeping under the Christmas tree the night before we celebrate our family Christmas. Either our living room is getting smaller or the number of sleeping bags is getting larger!

Getting ready to dive in to their stockings! Children make Christmas incredibly joy-filled!

And so we have tucked away the last of the Christmas decorations and are doing our best to get back into some sort of routine around here. Such a busy, wonderful season full of family and friends, lovely music, delightful food and sweet "Happy Birthday, Jesus" voices . Noah has already begun counting down to Christmas, 2010!

Let the Christmas Season Begin!!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Well...all depends on what I have on hand.
2. Real tree or artificial?
I will never, in my life, own an artificial tree. I'd forgo the Christmas tree before I'd go artificial. I know, not very "green" but that's just how it is!!!
3. When do you put up the tree?
As soon as we can convince the Scrooge (aka Craig) to let us!
4. When do you take the tree down?
As soon after Christmas as possible!
5. Do you like eggnog?
Yes Sirree!!! But I cut mine with some milk, otherwise it's just too sweet. And I love Eggnog lattes!
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
You know, I really have a terrible memory. Probably the only Christmas gift I remember receiveing as a child was my Cabbage Patch Doll, and I only remember that because I peeked on my mom's list and saw that I was getting it. She discovered my discovery and did not give it to me for Christmas. Lesson learned! I did get it for my January birthday, though, and have been very careful to avoid peeking at Christmas lists since!
7. Do you have a Nativity scene?
Yes, Craig's grandparents gave it to us soon after we were married. It's the highlight of our Christmas decorations.
8. Hardest person to buy for?
Craig's dad, who has nearly everything:)
9. Easiest person to buy for?
It changes every year but this year, I think it's Noah. He just has so many interests this year! Makes it very fun!
10. Worst Christmas Gift you ever received?
Now I would be incriminating myself if I confessed!!!
11. Mail or email Christmas cards?
I've given up on Christmas cards all together! In another season of life, I will return to this tradition but for now, neither!!!!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Honestly, the Charlie Brown Christmas just brings with it the coziest of feelings!!! Good thing I have children so I have a good excuse!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Veries every year! This year, we started at the end of October.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
I don't think so.
15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas?
My grandma's Cranberry Salad (my Grandma now spends Christmas celebrating in Heaven with Jesus, but one of us still makes this salad) and Amy's warm artichoke dip (she says she gets it from Costco but she should really keep this a secret and I'd just go on thinking that she makes the best Artichoke dip in the world!!!!)
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Either is fine with me, just so long as there are lights!
17. Favorite Christmas song?
"Christmas Canon Rock" and "Mary, Did You Know?"
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
We always travel, but thankfully not too far!
19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and....Rudolph!!!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
We do both!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Um...I can't really think of anything that annoys me. However, my husband's list for annoying things about this time of yearis so long that it makes up for the lack of items on my list.
23. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented?
Those blue metal-ish trees, hands down!!! Sorry to those of you who have them. I'm sure they look lovely in YOUR home :).
24. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees?
Homey trees
25. Do you like Fruitcake?
About as much as I like Mincemeat Pie and Suet Pudding

Love

Kaleb says to me, "Mom, I just know that lady was a Christian". "Really? What makes you think that she was a Christian?" He, in his wise old age of seven responds, "I could just tell by the way that she loved children that she was a Christian".

"They will know we are Christians by our love...by our love

They will know we are Christians by our love"

The TRUE Pandemic

So far in 2009, 5,000 deaths worldwide from H1N1 have been reported to WHO (WHO Pandemic Update 71).

So far in 2009, 37,779,567 babies have been murdered in their mothers' wombs, with this number increasing by about 1 little life lost a second (Abortions this year).

There is a pandemic raging through our world, which is deserving of a state of emergency declaration from the Oval Office, but it has nothing to do with the H1N1 virus, nor can it be curbed with a vaccine.

Hannah-isms

There was a loose pit bull in the neighborhood recently. Hannah came to report this to me: "Mom, Daddy said there is a stray Pinch Bullet in the neighborhood".

For some time now she has been excited to be eating "Cum-cubers".

And last but certainly not least, when informed that it would not be appropriate for her to kiss any boys but Daddy on the lips, she thought for a moment and then sweetly asked if it would be okay with me if she kissed her husband on the lips. Of course I told her that would be fine:).

Photographic Catch-Up

I am so thankful to get to report that my world is looking less and less green and my couch and bed becoming more and more foreign to me. I am fourteen weeks and feeling so, so much better. It was truly a rough first trimester (plus a few weeks) for all of us. When momma is out of commission, it really throws everyone off their axis. We're all glad to be resuming some sort of normalcy again. And our reward?!?! A sweet heartbeat announcing that all was not in vain. Praise the Lord!!!

So before I jump back into blogging, I thought I would do a bit (or a lot) of photographic catch-up! Despite feeling pretty miserable, summer, with all it's fun, treated us to many lovely memories. Here's a peek into our last few months:

Sarah Grace, on her 2nd birthday

A Hello, Kitty cake made by Daddy

The day we found out that we were expecting, we left for Alaska to visit Craig's parents. We spent the first three days camped along a BEAUTIFUL remote lake. We enjoyed kayaking and canoeing around the lake, listening to the loons and watching the sun go down around 11pm!!!
Kaleb would have spent the entire time kayaking! He loved it!

Craig's dad, Craig and the girls. I think Sarah nearly fell asleep kayaking around that peaceful lake. Who could blame her?!?!

Sweet Sarah, preparing "Grass Soup"

The boys took a nice hike WAY up into the mountains.

Upon our return home, Noah found this in his garden, snapped the picture himself, and chose the border. I think it is a marvelous picture, don't you?

Not long after returning home from Alaska, we loaded up once again for a camping trip at Silver Creek State Park with several families from our church in Newberg. There's nothing quite like camping when you are a child. The Fabulous Four had so much fun!!!!

Noah is looking so grown up to me these days. I have only a few more months in the single digits with this one. Where has the time gone? His interests and conversations are becoming more mature in nature. I am really enjoying and treasuring my time with Noah.

Our Hannah Joy...

(Just for the record, I did not ask her to pose! This was all her own doing! If she added a "Please" to that face, I'm most certain we'd give her the world!!!)

I think my husband should get an award of some sort. Like the "Sherpa Award" or something! Little legs get tired going uphill and Daddy legs get very strong.

In August, Hannah celebrated her 4th Birthday with a trip to the zoo and a picnic dinner with grandparents.

Rounding out our summer involved lots and lots of fishing. When so many other foods found themselves on my "Gag me with a pitchfork" list, grilled salmon never failed to hit the spot!!! Craig has found himself one dedicated fishing companion! Though both boys went out many times with Craig, it was Kaleb who eagerly rose every single morning at o'dark thirty to join his daddy on the river.

I am looking forward to blogging again, when time permits. Thanks for taking a journey through our summer with me!

The Latest Knitting Project

I have had good reason to be away! You see, there is a wee one being knit together in my womb by an extraordinary Creator!!! Yes, for those who do not know yet, the Fabulous Four will become the Fantastic Five in March (Lord willing). We are so very grateful for this little one, so humbled and delighted that the Lord would chose to allow us to love and raise one more for Him. The reason for my absence, however, has been the EXTREME nausea I have experienced this time around. I am trying all sorts of things to make it more bearable but have not had much success yet. I welcome any and all suggestions! Until I get a better handle on this thorn in my flesh known as nausea, I likely will continue to be a bit sporadic in my postings. Be assured, though, that all is well here and we are enjoying our summer immensely!!!