Blessed Advent Season to All!

We hope you all had a wonderful time with family and friends over the weekend. We sure did! But even more blessed was the time spent worshipping the Christ Child Who came to earth to be the Savior of the world. And as the saints so long ago longed for His coming (the first advent), so we wait for His final coming (the second advent), to conquor all evil and take His people to be where He is.

Here was one more special family time spent with cousins...

...sharing mutual love...

...with plenty of photos to remember...

...and two little girls, so cute (yes, Grandma again spoiled the girls with beautiful dresses! :-)...

More Holiday Fellowship

Since Paul & Carol were with Hadassah waking up in the hospital, we again had Shifrah to enjoy...

And a smiling Aunty Ada...

With a very rich and warm spread...

To read about God's amazing provision in Hadassah's life, read their family blog.

Enjoying Grandpa

Last week Grandpa came over for a special time...(and as you can see, we are finally enjoying our 'almost finished' new family room)

Sharing love...

And this picture was taken by Selah, showing our brand new french doors...(there once was a wall where the opening now stands)

Christmas Program

Here's a clip from last night's Christmas Program. One little man shocked us all by overcoming his usual shyness with a solo...

And here's Selah singing in the front row with her class...

Overwhelmed...

Psalm 61:1-2 :Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

First with the burden of anxiety, fear and sorrow; then with joy and apprehension; and now, with joy and thanksgiving... 'overwhelmed' would best describe our status.

Last week Wednesday our 'niece' Hadassah was labeled as end stage cardiomyopathy. Just last Thursday she was officially placed on the heart transplant waiting list. Yesterday morning we awoke to the news that a heart had already been found for her. And this morning her new heart was transplanted and beating on its own!!! I don't think we still realize how huge of a miracle this is!! Obviously, the next few days, weeks, months and years are very critical, and to follow Hadassah's story, visit Paul & Carol's blog here. But please join us in praising our Great God for overwhelming us with His grace!

THE DOORS ARE IN!!!

Yesterday Uncle Mike also came over, and Duane helped him install our beautiful, new french doors (joining our living and family rooms). Here the kids are peeking into the freshly painted family room, waiting for the process to begin...

Another hole in the wall!

And today Uncle Mike finished the adjustments and trim around the doors. THANK-YOU, UNCLE MIKE!!!

Notice the boys watching just inches away?! They get really excited whenever Uncle Mike comes over and creates noise!

Not Much Snow

Every day Selah has been begging for snow so she can go sledding or build a snowman, but all we have received so far has only been a dusting. But yesterday when Shifrah came over we created snow of our own with cottonball snowmen and paper snowflakes.

Handling a scissors is a skill that takes much practice, but even Isaiah is getting the knack of it.

Judah's snowflake was cut in half before it even took its first flight.

I see I forgot to capture an image of the finished projects... maybe next week.

Gingerbread Creations

This morning the cousins came over to create masterpieces of gingerbread, icing & candy (they make pre-formed kits for dummies, so they're really quite simple). Selah, Judah & Isaiah's creation was a train, with an engine and caboose...
Jacob & Helena also created a train...
And now it's time to add the candies! (Notice me desperately holding the engine together while the candies were violently placed in position)
I had to swallow my pride and let the kids decorate their own masterpiece (in the most haphazard way possible!!).

Somehow Wendy's train looked a bit less chaotic...

And Isabella's parents did most of her creating...

...except for the gumdrops!

Cute, and very fun! Thanks, Grandma! Now if we could just convince the kids not to eat them, we might be able to enjoy our icicle-laden, candy clad train for a few more days...

For the Love of "Cah-lah" (Color)

Soooo, I haven't posted in a while. I guess we're too busy learning, working or playing to take many pictures lately. Selah's on the verge of reading- just about ready to take off and fly. She's learning how to spell or sound out new words daily. She picks words out from everywhere and spells them back to me. And I'm not pushing- I want it to be her discovery (which she's thoroughly enjoying). When she follows along in the Psalter or Bible or any book we're reading- we are constantly interrupted by the discovery of a new word. This morning she acquired 'David' and 'snow'.

But Selah isn't the only student in the house. Since his BIG sister spends hours (literally) coloring, somebody else has acquired the taste of creating 'art' from colors. Or, "cah-lah", as he usually calls it. I think yesterday Isaiah possibly spent a combined 2 hours just sitting and adding fragments of color to any paper he can get his fingers on.

Markers are by far the favorite medium- thankfully, some genius invented washable ones!

And Duane's been banned to the garage any spare moment he's home. Stain and varnish aren't friends of pregnant women- so his days off are spent prepping our new french doors and all the trim and headers for our 'almost' finished family room. Pictures will be forthcoming!

All Growing Up Together...

Every Sunday morning on the way to church, our family recites this Psalm:

"Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the LORD is the great God, And the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand. " Psalm 95:1-7

And this week we were reminded again of the need to come before our Lord with Thanksgiving. Not only does He provide all we need, but He has poured upon us all the blessings of salvation through Christ Jesus.

On Thursday we celebrated with extended family (sorry, forgot to take many pictures), and last night we gathered with Duane's immediate family. Six cousins, all within 2.5 years, and three more due to arrive in 3 more months! Life has never been the same- it's much more active:-)

Isaiah showing off his manly chest to sweet Isabella...
Two little ladies, learning to share...
Trying to get a pose...
Snuggled up with Helena...
We also celebrated Grandma's 65th birthday. Here Judah gets a kiss after having his card read...
And Selah enjoying the re-reading of her authentic birthday card...
Helping Grandma open her present...
...and blowing out the candles!
Imp and sweetness, wrapped together in one little man that grabs my heart...

Pretty little thing, feeling all grown up...

And, of course, jammy time!