December Was...

 ...studying the Nutcracker (as part of our year-long composer study of Tchaikovsky)...

 ...enjoying hot chocolate as we learned about the 'Dance of the Chocolates"...

 ...Isaiah's water-color version of the nutcracker prince...

 Selah's painting of Clara and her godfather...

Judah's prince with a sword...

...and Hannah?  Well, she just ate the marshmallows and painted with water...

December was also preparing for our Sunday School's annual Christmas program...

Two little boys, inseparable and deeply in love (usually:-)...

...and two girlies...

December was another of Daddy's favorite bath-time pics...

December was also starting our Science unit on birds.
Here Judah & Selah are carefully forming their edible bird's nests...

(we cheated and used a peanut butter/chocolate mixture instead of mud)

Selah using her new art set to create one of many cards/signs...

Anyone want a turkey for your Christmas dinner?

Two boys spending hours upon hours building Legos.  Notice their typical postures- Judah working and Isaiah watching...

December was also a special visit from Grandpa & Grandma...
(More pictures of their visit in another post)

...and a special Holiday evening spent with Duane's side and our Cooper cousins...
(More pictures in another post)

December was also the month my 'little' brother proposed to his bride-to-be.  So we get to visit Canada this summer for a wedding!

And during the last week of December the stomach virus visited our entire family.  So our family Christmas gathering was post-poned to later in the week (more pictures to come in another post).

 

Judah's Imaginative Drawings

While Selah's gift was coloring, Judah prefers drawing.
Here are a few of his recent art pieces...

A shark eating fish...

I think this was a family of ?... ducks, maybe?

Here's a special drawing for his beloved brother...
(fireman on firetruck putting out a fire)

And this was a drawing for his father...the inside of our church...
(Notice the 'Psalter' board?)

 

Nine Little Blessings

Here are some pictures we captured for Duane's parents.  Adorable, aren't they?  I was just reading lately about how some people in society view children as a burden to the environment.  And then I think about the millions of children murdered in their mothers' wombs.  But God said that of such are the kingdom of heaven.
Notice how the 3-year-olds are so sweetly caring for the 1-year-olds in the above picture?

That's a full bench!  And cousin #10 hopes to make her appearance this May...

My favorite shot.
(The only feet moving-too-fast-so-they-are-blurry belong to Isaiah's)

Selah, Judah, Isaiah & Hannah...

Isabella & Alexander...

Willa, Helena & Jacob...

 

Thanksgiving Day 2012

 "O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endures forever." Psalm 136

 This past Thanksgiving was hosted at our house.  Here we are enjoying the feast...

 Another shot...

One little...

...two little...

...ten little Indians (a few not pictured)...

Adults playing board games...

Kids creating edible turkeys...

"Hmm! This looks good!"

It's fun to have so many little ones growing up together...

Caught in the act...

I love the curls on this Indian princess...

"Hmmm.  I'll take one more of those!"

Even Asher diligently created a comical-looking turkey...

"Ohhh... so good!"

Do you like my "tuh-key"?

"Hmmm, do you think I can stuff this whole thing in my mouth?"
(Life is always a bit more 'on-the-edge-of-my-seat' with a toddler in the house.)

Things we were thankful for (I don't remember the whole list): our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Christian family, Aunty Ada's pies, loving spouses, toys, freedom, turkey, generational faithfulness, Church, Christian education, health, our daddies, our mommies, and several more.