Christmas Morning

We hosted Christmas morning at our house with Paul's side of the family. Unfortunately, I was not feeling well but the kids woke up so excited. They ran downstairs and found full stockings, and Marissa had a big doll waiting for her and Kyle had a hot wheels race track. They were really excited because there was a good coating of frost out and they thought it had snowed.

Isabella ripped open her new dog bed just enough to lay in it! She loves to open presents.

Tonia and her sister Chelsea

Grandpa put a santa hat on Kohlton

The birthday cake the kids and I made for Jesus! And yes, we made everyone sing Happy Birthday Jesus with us :)

Vann opening his new couch/bed

The boys crowded around to check out the RC boat I got Paul

Paul racing his new boat in our pond

This is what daddy got the kids, a pedal car. Kyle calls it his go-cart

Our yearly staircase family portrait

Christmas Eve 2009 - Our last Christmas with Papa

This past Christmas Eve was very different for us. It was the first Christmas Eve that Papa didn't feel up to hosting. I think it was the first time in my whole life that I didn't spend it at his house. So we had it at mom and dad's house and rather than going to the candlelight service at church we went to see Papa and take him his presents and some dinner.

Papa opening his yearly calendar we make for him. He loved it!

Now back to Mom and Dada's for presents...

Grandpa and his girls!

Marissa so excited to get a watch from Grandma and Grandpa

Uncle Bob brought his new puppies over. Alvin and Duke the "party crashers" my dad named them. The kids went crazy over them.

Below is a video of the family band :) Led by Grandpa

Silent Night

Christmas Play

First Lutheran put on a really cute kids program this year. Marissa was in the choir for it and sang a lot of songs. She really enjoyed it as well. Her favorite songs were "Away in the Manger" and "The Friendly Beasts".

After the play we went downtown Poulsbo and took a horse and carriage ride. The kids loved it.

Kyle wouldn't have anything to do with sitting on Santa's lap.

Fun at the park

I took the kids to the park in Port Gamble last week - it was cold but they didn't seem to notice. Just trying to curb the Christmas excitement and pass the time.

This was Kohlton's first time on a swing. He loved it!

Marissa and Kyle had more fun climbing trees and making pretend forts than playing on the equipment.

December Festivities

We were all so excited to enjoy the advent season this year. I got my shopping done in November so we could concentrate on the true meaning of Christmas this year and not fill it with shopping/presents. It felt great! We filled the month with cutting down our tree, decorating the house, listening to Christmas music, bible stories, praying, talking about the birth of Jesus in all opportunities, making gingerbread houses, we watched the Navy band play a Christmas concert (amazing), drove around to see Christmas lights, and drank plenty of hot chocolate and eggnog!

Marissa enjoying her hot cocoa and Kyle just wanted to carry the saw!

This is the tree Kyle wanted. A bit small.

We found the perfect one for us.

Everyone helping to carry it - besides me and Kohlton :)

This is a video of the kids. They just wanted to run down the hills at the tree farm. Of course, Kyle doesn't make it far without falling!

Daddy did the lights and Marissa decorated the whole tree!

Kohlton and I watched the tree decorating.

The kids drinking their cocoa's by the tree

Making the gingerbread house

The finished product

Nature Walks

I recently have become very interested in a particular homeschooling method by Charlotte Mason. I have been reading a lot of her books and she has excellent ideas and reasons for learning. One thing she really recommends is getting kids outside to learn more. So we started a "nature notebook" where Marissa looks a different things outside and draws them what she finds. We also take a bag with us and collect all sorts of things to bring inside to study and look at under the microscope. Her favorite find was a dead dragonfly, his wings looked like cracked glass under the microscope.

Drawings of different tree leaves

By our pond - lots of bugs to look at

Studying the different trees in our Christmas tree field