Catch-up

I guess I have been on quite a long blog break here. I am not thrilled with the setup and some hang-ups of Homeschoolblogger and so it is not as enjoyable to blog. I am playing around with setting up a new blog on another site but that won't happen until sometime in the new year.

We have been busy as I am sure all of you are as well in preparations for Christmas.  We started off with walking with our 4H group in the Christmas parade the day after Thanksgiving. It went well but not sure if it is worth the time put into planning (I was in charge with another Mom) to walk down one street on a cold night! We were thankful to spend a bit of that week with John's parents before they headed south for the winter.

We have had the "fever sickness" moving through our house in various forms and various lengths of time for each. Unfortunately we did not all get it at once as I so hoped for. No, it lingered and passed on every 4 or 5 days beginning two weeks before Thanksgiving and the last person to get it (me) was last weekend.

We had a Nature Club field trip to a tree farm the first weekend in Dec. and learned all about evergreen trees. John met us there to cut down our Christmas tree. I think he enjoyed having us pick it out before-hand. Last year it took awhile for someone to find the perfect tree.  (me) It reaches our peaked ceiling and is quite beautiful and I absolutely LOVE the smell of a fresh cut tree in our home.

[caption id="attachment_782564" align="aligncenter" width="228" caption="I had to put this one in as it is so typical of the boys. I didn't use the most dramatic one so it doesn't look as bad. :)"][/caption]

We celebrated my Mom's birthday, and enjoyed having college students over.

I kept waiting for the snow to fall as I always want to try and get our Christmas card picture taken with a snowy background. We finally got snow and so we took our picture outside on the day the sky was heavy with an impending blizzard. Unfortunately the temps were also dipping low so we had to be quick. The last child I would think didn't feel like cooperating but it worked out in the end. I am finally getting our cards printed (after too much thought in designing it in Photoshop) so hopefully in the mail before Christmas Eve.

Our blizzard did arrive and we had a nice relaxing Sunday snowed in. We apparently got 7 inches but after all of the blowing it drifted in most places to 1 1/2 feet. It is SO beautiful and I debated trying to get another family picture with the snow piled on our pine trees but I thought better of that. Maybe next year.

[caption id="attachment_782565" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="This is the location of our Christmas card picture. So, when you see our card, just imagine the snowy covering."][/caption]

Friday the children and I dressed up with friends and went caroling at a nursing home and will go again this week. That was a real joy and a lesson in being a servant as one of my children initially didn't think it to be something he wanted to do. Afterward he realized how much joy it brings to others.

Last night we had our church Christmas Program and the children and John were all involved. I love to watch how the children change from year to year and gain confidence. Missy Blue was most dramatic in that the last few years when they would sing she would move in time to the music but had her fingers in her mouth or looked uncertain. This year she stood tall and sang out her best. She is growing up too fast! My boys are too but it seems more obvious in a girl. The program was a simple one with scripture recitations and songs from the children and then a play with a clear gospel message reminding us that Christmas is for sinners -- not good people as the hype of Santa and such leads us to believe.

And so we come to the final week and countdown excitedly to the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Here is a clip with Seppy and Missy singing "Gentle Jesus" with their group. I can't get it to embed here so click on the link instead. Watch as Seppy has to stop and swallow quite a few times. John and I thought he might throw-up he did it the whole time he was in front but he is still sweet as can be. Missy sings out her best although she said when she didn't remember the words her "mouth stopped moving".
Gentle Jesus