Picture This!

Getting ready for Christmas...

Celebrating Jesus!

Have a BLESSED and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My Sugar Plum Fairy

This fall, Ainsley started tap and ballet lessons, and to say she loves them is an understatement!  She dances around the house, practices pointing her toes (you can't have "icky toes" as she says), and shows us her many dances daily!  Her dance studio puts on a very informal program at the end of the semester to show off their hard work.  As her teacher said, it was pretty much just a dance lesson that we got to peek in on!  In any case, it was adorable!  Here are some pictures of my ballerina in action!

Getting ready to start and feeling a little shy!

Here's my girl showing off her tap and ballet moves!  I love her class!  It is made up of six little girls ages three and four.  Of course my long-legged ballerina stands above most of them!  It has been fun to watch their little friendships form as they giggle and dance together each week!

Here is Ainsley showing off her special moves!  We have the "boogie woogie" in the first picture and an "Ainsley Special twist" as each girl got to go in the center of the circle to show off!

Saying goodbye!

The whole group!

My sweet Sugar Plum Fairy!

It was so special to watch Ainsley dance and perform for the first time!  Definitely precious memories!

And for the grandparents who wanted to be there but couldn't... these are for you!  (and for anyone else who has a few minutes to watch some super cute dancing!)

A Walk Through Bethlehem

Every year our church puts on one of them most incredible events!  They transform much of our church building into the streets of Bethlehem.  It truly is amazing, and for children, an experience that they don't soon forget! 

This year seemed extra special.  The last time we visited Liam was 4 and Ainsley was 2... so it was more for fun than anything.   But with them being "older" now, they could truly enjoy the activities and walked through the streets with wide-eyed amazement!  They had questions and enjoyed all the various experiences around every tent.

Here's our evening in pictures...

Listening to Mr. Mark tell a story, showing off official Bethlehem wear, and registering for the census

Receiving a henna tattoo, Making Perfume, and practicing writing "Messiah" in Hebrew

Making their own coin, sifting wheat, rolling dough

The ever popular bread making station!

Learning about pottery and showing off their creations...

Playing a marble game and checking out the sheep.

Finally finding baby Jesus!

I love this last picture because it just represents "us" right now! :)  Ainsley was thrilled to finally find the baby!  She loves to tell people that she played the part of baby Jesus for this event four years ago! (and she remembered all her lines!) :)

As we were heading home, I asked the kids what their favorite part was...

Liam: Making the bread, Eating the crackers and trying the white grape juice... it was better than the purple juice! (anyone notice a theme for Liam?)

Ainsley:  Seeing baby Jesus, playing the marble game with Maggie, and making the bread. 
What Ainsley didn't like... "drinking the goat's milk... it was yucky!" 

This was a great night, and I'm so beyond thankful to our church and the staff who pour so many hours into putting on this event and for all the people who volunteered!  We were blessed!

Oh, Come!  Let Us Adore HIM! 

CHRIST the LORD! 

Caught in a Story

There are certain things that melt the teacher's heart in me....

This is one of them!

And this...

And this...

And even during lunch...

The last few weeks, Liam has been drawn into the Magic Treehouse series.  I kept trying to get him to start reading them, but he just wasn't interested.  I finally almost forced him to read one, and he couldn't put it down.  He is now on a roll and can't stop... begging to get to the library ever few days for more. 

I L.O.V.E. this! 

I was just like this with the Babysitters Club series.  (Anyone with me there?!?!)  Staying up late to read just one more chapter.  Overly excited every time we made the trek to Grand Island where I could visit the bookstore in the mall and buy the newest release.  Being drawn into the story and captivated by the characters.

I smile as I recall my first "reading lesson" with Liam and now to this... 

 It warms my heart.   



A Harvest full of Thanksgiving

Harvest 2011

We plough the fields, and scatter

The good seed on the land,

But it is fed and watered

By God's almighty hand.

He sends the snow in winter,

The warmth to swell the grain,

The breeze and the sunshine,

And soft refreshing rain.

ALL GOOD GIFTS AROUND US

ARE SENT FROM HEAVEN ABOVE;

THEN THANK THE LORD, O THANK THE LORD,

FOR ALL HIS LOVE

He only is the maker

Of all things near and far,

He paints the wayside flower

He lights the evening star.

The winds and waves obey Him,

By Him the birds are fed,

Much more to us, His children,

He gives our daily bread.

We thank Thee then, O Father,

For all things bright and good,

The seed-time and the harvest,

Our life, our health, our food.

Accept the gifts we offer,

For all Thy love imparts,

And, what you most desire,

Our humble, thankful heart.

Thanking Him tonight for a successful harvest and a father-in-law who works hard on the land day in and day out.  It is an amazing and powerful thing to watch harvesting in action.  Something so dependent on God in the growing process... something so full of God's faithfulness in the end.  My children love to be a part of it, and I love watching them (and Tim) fully enjoy it.  

ALL GOOD GIFTS AROUND US

ARE SENT FROM HEAVEN ABOVE;

THEN THANK THE LORD, O THANK THE LORD,

FOR ALL HIS LOVE

Poem by: Matthias Claudius

After enjoying harvest, it was appropriate that this was the poem we were studying this week in school. 

It definitely gave more depth and meaning to the words! :)

Simple Christmas

As we enter into this Christmas season...

May it be the simple things of Christmas that warm your heart and draw you closer to HIM!

Drawing: by Ainsley

Making Butter

For our Read-A-Loud this month, we have been reading, Little House in the Big Woods.  It's been fun to talk about what it was like to live long ago.  Both Liam and Ainsley are pretty amazed at all the things they had to make by themselves.  The family in our story was making some fresh butter, so we thought we'd try it too!   

Make it!

Shake it!

Spread it!

Eat it!

Yep... it was some of the best butter ever!  So yummy and dangerously good!!!