Christmas - 2011

Oh, what a wonderful Christmas we have had.

We are so blessed.

(I love this look on Noah: khaki shorts and camo boots. Too. precious.)

We've had fun times with cousins...(and aunts and uncles, and grandparents!)

...as we celebrated the birth of our precious Jesus.

Elisabeth decorated Jesus' birthday cake for us again this year....

...and thought that meant she got to eat it all by herself.

Several different people gave me clothes...clothes that would have fit 6 months ago. Now - 20 pounds later - not so much.

But something I received that did fit?

This great shirt from Wild Olive Tees, that boasts of God's unfailing love, and has Psalm 13:5-6 on the back: "I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me."

Thank you, Nai Nai!

Nai Nai also sent the children their new ornaments.

She normally sends them one ornament each year...and these ornaments have become treasured keepsakes that the children love pulling out and looking at every year.

But this year they each got two ornaments!



(That would be a swimmer girl...and that would be why Elisabeth is pretending to hold her breath.)

The children are loving their gifts. I mentioned their gifts from us in this post, so I won't show those, but they received gifts from other family members as well.


They played soccer with their new goals and ball for a long time this afternoon/evening.

And I know they'll spend lots of time with this soon also...


Can't tell what it is?

Why, a basketball goal, of course. In the making...

AND, they're already getting better and better with this....

...a very long, very fun...jump rope!

I was reminded so vividly yesterday of why we even have Christmas in the first place. WHY He had to come: We live in a sin-sick, lost and dying world. Dysfunction in my family makes for at-times tense family gatherings. Lots of fun.

So I? Was oh-so glad to head to our church's Christmas service at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. Just stepping foot into the church felt like walking into a haven. After some wonderful and soul-refreshing worship time, our pastor preached from 1 John 4.

Yes, we're surrounded by dysfunction. Yes, **WE**(Jas and I) are dysfunctional, too...no doubt about it.

But THAT? Is exactly why He came.

Praise you, Lord.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:9-12)