Christmas Weekend 2006

Highlights of the weekend:

• Cor being home for 4 days in a row
• worship on Sunday morning and a special Christmas Eve service at 10:30 p.m.
• spending time with friends
• opening our Christmas gifts
• chocolate letters from Oma
• Arianna thrilled with her Bible and American Girl doll, Kit
• Asher playing with his remote control truck and pistol cap guns
• I love hearing those words, "This is just what I wanted!"
• Julianna playing "mommy" with her new baby doll
• enjoying our new computer with a beautiful flat screen monitor
• rearranging our bedroom furniture
• playing with our new games, Zingo and Whoonu
• enjoying a wonderful meal with Bernie and Patricia and family
• having a blast playing games with them
• kids playing outside all afternoon building a fort in the woods
• reading a good book, actually two
• anticpating the arrival of more family later this week

Calvin, Arianna, Asher, Matt, and Gab, making a fort out of a sod pallet

using the picnic table as a raft in the pond

enjoying Christmas Dinner

boys will be boys

Christmas morning, new pj's (Asher already changed!)

Santa's helpers, Arianna and Missy

We had wonderful Christmas, and we wish ya'll a Happy New Year and the Lord's richest blessings.

"Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands." Ps. 90:17

Gingerbread Houses

This is our second year making gingerbread houses with our friends. I make the houses, (yes from scratch, using the Pampered Chef mold), and our friends bring the candy. They are a lot of work to make but the kids look forward to it and have a blast decorating them. Cor assembled them for me this year, which I think is more work than making the mold. It involves more patience.

finally free standing

sorting all the candy, eating a lot of it too!

carefully designing it

the finished product

It is a beautiful centerpiece for our table, we are resisting the temptation to eat it before Christmas.

Our Resident Clown

She rivals her brother, only needs a little encouragement, and we all laugh. That's her idea of a good time. She is very humorous. She definitely has our attention, and yes, she is a very messy eater! ...(we're working on that)

Little bit of this, little bit of that

decorating Christmas cookies

I got smart this year, and kept the mess outside

can't believe I didn't think of that years ago

mixing the red and green sprinklesAsher diligently doing his school

(aren't you surprised he's not hanging from the ceiling?!)

the right of passage, Asher lost his first toothoh, an itchy eye

loving that spaghetti!

I'm starting to go insane.....

Please help me! I AM SICK OF "KNOCK, KNOCK" jokes. It's been brought to a whole new level...now Julianna is saying "knock, knock". Isn't she kinda young? When will this phase end? Asher also started a new phase (thanks to Vero Beach cousins) called "opposite day". Every reply and statement is the opposite. HELP!

Arianna's Art Work

Arianna has been enjoying her art class that meets everyother Thursday from 12:30-2:30. Here are two of her clay projects. One is a candle holder, the other is a bread/relish tray. I have it hanging on our wall, so it doesn't break, and Arianna painted it to match the colors in our breakfast nook. She did a great job.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love Christmas lights. With a little bit of effort Cor put up the lights on the house. We have all the lights on a timer so we don't have to go out in the cold (except to take these pictures!).

Fun with Daddy

While I was at my sewing lesson, this is what the kids did. It's always more fun with Daddy. I am thankful for guarding angels!

Is there anything I can help you with Mommy?

Those words always make me stop and think. They always seem to be asked when I am rushing or hurrying about. Friday I was a touch frustrated and running behind because I tried to sew. (Saturday I went to a sewing class just to tell you how successful I was!). Instead of quickly fixing dinner, I patiently show Arianna how to slice mushrooms, grate cheese and chop peppers. She is learning fast, and loves to help. I am anxiously waiting for the time when her helping me doesn't cause more work.

very proudly cutting thin mushroom slices

Julianna ignoring the 5 second rule!

feeding cheese to Julianna and messing the floor

(of course, right after it has been washed)

Thanksgiving weekend

We had a very enjoyable time down South. Thanksgiving in Vero was wonderful. The meal was delicious. On the menu was turkey and ham, stuffing, mash potatoes, corn, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, broccoli, cauliflower, rolls. There was such a variety of food and all so delicious. Desserts were awesome, apple pie, pecan pie, pumpkin cake, pumpkin cheese cake, and a chocolate trifle. It was all so very tasty. The hockey game in Tampa was a blast, and they won it in overtime. It was the first time the kids went to a game, so they were very excited. It was not a great weekend for pictures.

Calvin & Matt
the whole gang minus the ladies and 2 kiddies
Asher

Julianna eating a pomegranate with a fork, she usually eats with her fingers so I can't figure this one out. She must have heard me warning the kids that when they are at Uncle Bernie's they must eat with a fork!

Happy Thanksgiving

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

We hope ya'll have a wonderful thanksgiving. We are heading down to Vero Beach, and then on Friday we are going to Tampa Bay, to watch a hockey game. We are anticipating a fun weekend. Maybe on Friday, Patricia and I will attack the crowds at the mall :). The official start to the holiday season, how exciting!!

Boys will be boys!!

When will they ever grown up? Here is the new 2001 Toyota Tundra, and the proud new owner Arie. There is nothing like a test drive on the beach :). Asher learned a new meaning of the word donut this weekend. "I thought we were getting donuts Arie?" lol. He thought it was pretty cool. I can already picture him and Matt and Calvin one day on the beach.

Visitors from North Carolina

This past weekend Arie, Andrea, Haley and Charity came to visit for a couple of hours. They arrived on Friday evening at 8 and left again Saturday at 4. Arie bought a truck off of Ebay, and it was in Jacksonville. It was a whirlwind of a visit, but we all had a great time. Arianna and Charity had a very fun time, playing and chatting till 12:00. Girls will be girls, even if they are only 7 and 8 years old.

Arianna, Charity and Asher jumping off the bed to the air mattress on your mark, get set....
go!! (false start on Arianna)
Haley and Andrea
mommy and Julianna

climbing the rocks
Andrea and Arie with Aunt Marlene
Andrea and Julianna,
Julianna is finally out the "I don't like anyone but mommy" stage!

acting silly
she loves the camara