New Moon

I finally made it to the movie! Not too bad. :^) I enjoyed it.

But I'm kind of bothered by the fact that anyone seeing this movie (including myself) will find themselves wishing that Bella would end up with Jacob. I find this disturbing because anyone who's read the books knows that Edward is her true love - and you don't mess with that! (Yeah, I'm the type that was mad at the end of Enchanted for that very reason.)

Good grief.

Oh, and by the way, they played this preview at New Moon. Squeal. Love, love, love. Please don't mess this movie up, people, because it looks like it could be my new favorite.

Bella Grace - 7 months

Our visit to Bethlehem

This is one of our favorite Christmas traditions.

I think this is our third or fourth visit.

We used to go to a drive through nativity story.

This is waaay better. :^)

I know it's blurry. There were soldiers on horseback

too, but they are seriously in character, and I was kind of afraid

to take their pic - those Romans were mean!

looking down one side of "Bethlehem"

The tour guide stopped at different boothes asking

about the Messiah that rumor said had been born there.

Lepers

Shepherds

The magi - they had camels too.

Rosie was seriously wanting to go to the real Bethlehem

and see the real baby. We explained why that wasn't possible,

but she was still put out that it wasn't a real baby,

despite the fact that we were freezing to death!

It ended with a walk past the cross and the empty tomb,

and the risen Christ - oh, and free hot chocolate

and a fresh baked cookie

Christmas Card Pics

I used to send out Christmas cards, then I couldn't afford to send out Christmas cards, now I can't find time to send out Christmas cards.

But Brian's parents send out cards. And they always have our kids on their picture cards. This year they wanted a picture of us too. As you can see, the individual pictures for their cards turned out. Our attempts at our own family pics, not so much.

There's always next year.

So consider this your Christmas card. A little late, but, hey, if it were early, you probably wouldn't believe that it was from me anyway.

"Merry Christmas and Much Love to You All" , oh, and "Happy New Year!" See, I can do something early. :^)

Had to throw this one in, Bella is not an easy baby to

take pictures of. She smiles in real life, but not for pics.

Christmas Carol Sing and Giant Snowman Cookie - 12/4

Advent Evenings

Our advent readings this year were from

Jotham's Journey

Christmas

Christmas Eve -

We had just returned from a Candlelight service. That was quite an adventure. The first was full, and since we weren't very thrilled with sitting in an overflow service, we headed to second church whose service started later. The children decided that we would sit on the front row. We quickly became amused that the interactive service folowwing Luke 2 and carols that went with it, was almost identical to a program that I'd had the children memorize this year. They enjoyed the two harpists, but were still disappointed that the candlelight service was only candles at the front of the church. We'd thought that we would get to hold them.

Opening presents from my parents in PA

Christmas Eve night

Bella likes "flying" to Brian and then back to me.

Christmas Morning:

Ethan was surprised with the Ocarina of Time

Rose got a violin

Anna got a Furreal cat and kitten, then the girls opened these:

Gold Christmas dresses

The hat was one of Bella's presents.

Bella didn't care for it, and it was a little big.

Rose loved it - isn't she adorable?

Christmas dinner was at our house

They all got crochet hooks in their stocking,

because I'd been making a scarf, and they

were all asking me to teach them.

Whose present was that?

Baby's First Christmas

Now we're at Gran's:

Seven months going on 13.



Listening to Gran:

The long-awaited "Christmas Ball" - I only have this one

picture because we all had to dance!

Bella's new bear. She likes the tag.

Anna Kate likes bears. She named him "Fuzzworth."

And took him to bed with her the next night.

For now he's back in Bella's crib, but

we have to keep an eye on her. :^)