Christmas Time

Our boys Christmas programs have been highlights of our week.

Listening to Willem sing about Jesus' birth was such a JOY!!

Willem Vance

Merit's program was yesterday.

He did such a nice job.

There he is with the hat. :)

Holiday baking!

I made two different types of bars today. Neither of them fancy, both of them yummy!

One was a recipe from my Aunt Monica... I love typing Aunt Monica. (She is only one

year older than I am!) And the other I got out of Kari Mulder's cookbook. A blogging friend

who sold a cookbook as part of their adoption fundraiser. The recipes are simple, practical

and yummy.

Willem and I made a gingerbread house.

There's our second grader! Man, he is growing.

Card making in my spare time...

the spare time seems to be hard to find lately.

Also, I am trying to make my Christmas cards. I

am off to a great start, but my goal was to have them mailed by

December 10. yikes. Ok, my new goal is to have them

mailed by December 16.

Both yesterday and the day before I had enriching conversations with

dear friends. I am so thankful for these phone conversations and how

I come away from them feeling refreshed and renewed.

I am thankful too that these women know I am crazy and still love me.

Vance has a busy next three days with lots of work committments.

The kids and I will be watching Christmas movies, playing memory, Candy Land and base tag

and I will be TRYING to clean house!

I have a couple of photo shoots today too.

Let's remember the REASON for the SEASON.

I tend to get so busy and begin breaking a sweat, RUSHING around.

I know better than to sweat the small stuff (I just have to remind myself of that) and I know celebrating the gift of Jesus is the reason for the season.