We have a tradition that we stay home, just us, on Christmas Eve and morning. Well, we go to church, but other than that we stay home. And I love Christmas Eve service, so that’s a highlight.

Getting ready to leave for church

 

When we got home from church, we had a fabulous dinner (roast, cheesy garlic mashed potatoes, honey-thyme carrots, sour cream rolls) and watched The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and ate homemade apple pie. Yum! The kids got new Christmas jammies in their stocking on Christmas Eve last year, and we did it again this year.

It was really important to JT that we pray before we open our gifts and stockings on Christmas morning. He said he wanted to make sure we were still focused on God, not what we were getting. Sweet Haley prayed at bedtime Christmas Eve that she would still remember what was important about Christmas even while she got some gifts. Love it. 

We had a great time gift opening this year, especially since this was the first year that our children saved and spent their own money to buy each other gifts.

JT explaining to Haley what he picked out for her, and why

 

The finished living room

Then we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of blueberry french toast casserole, egg frittata, bacon, and orange juice.

After breakfast, we went straight outside. It was a beautiful morning! Haley got a Razor scooter from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Gena, and she was excited to try it. She was a natural. 🙂

JT giving instructions. 🙂

 

I surprised Jim with a road bike for Christmas, and he tested it out as well.

 What a lovely morning!

Christmas Eve. My favorite church service of the year! We dress up, take photos, feel merry, and celebrate the arrival of our Savior. I recently thought about how devastating that must have been for Jesus, to leave the perfection of heaven that he had enjoyed for all of eternity to dwell in an imperfect world for thirty-three years. That in itself is a sacrifice, yet we so often dwell only on the ending (and new beginning) at Easter.

In our advent devotional recently, the kids and I read about how God chose an angel to announce the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds. The devotional pointed out how incredibly special that angel might have felt, to be the one to announce the glory of the Lord living among men. How often do we feel that special, to be sharing the amazing story of Jesus Christ with those around us? Quite a challenge this Christmas season.

I recently had a woman dressed exclusively in red and green tell me she was offended on behalf of her Jewish step-brother when “those Christians act like it’s all about Christmas this time of year.” I don’t think anyone has ever taken the time to explain to her that, for followers of Christ, it’s all about Him all year long.

Merry Christmas.

We have started a new tradition with my family in which we gather the weekend before Christmas for decorating cookies, opening gifts, and enjoying good food together. We started the evening singing Christmas carols with Preston on guitar.

We played some Rummy before dinner as well.

After dinner, we settled in for cookie making. Of course, Grandma already had the dough for sugar and gingerbread ready to go. We just had to roll, cut, and decorate!

The kids got to pick two colors each for frosting.

 

In the morning, we were treated to Grandma Cole’s cinnamon rolls. If you’ve ever had amazing cinnamon rolls, just imagine those – but better.

Then it was time for some gifts. JT got a lot of vehicles!

Preston actually asked for an ironing board. 🙂

One of our favorite gifts was JT’s new felt mat of Steamboat Rock State Park. It is one of the cul-de-sacs. Grandpa Cole made it to go with all of JT’s recreational vehicle sets (he loves collecting them). 

Haley was very excited to get her walk-and-go pup. She named her Lucy.

Snuggling on the couch 🙂

Haley also got a Tangled Lego Princess Tower set from Preston, and he and JT helped her put it together. 108 steps later, they finished!

After lunch, we went over to visit my Grandma Christensen and wish her a Merry Christmas.

We came home to a quiet evening and a Christmas lights walk. I don’t know why, but I just love this “We Three Kings” art by Haley. I have it hanging up in our house. I think it’s so adorable!

This morning, JT and Haley were playing “Banks Lake” for about an hour. I had no idea how much of our annual trips they have memorized. Of course, JT has been ten times in his little lifetime. Some quotes include…

• “No Haley, the fifth wheel isn’t here right now. This isn’t the friends trip.” 
• “The boat is still parked on the grass because it’s Movie Night, and they’re going to put it in after dinner.”
• “They’re all headed into town for Mexican.”
• “There’s a huge windstorm coming, so they’d better get parked.”
• “It’s garbage day.”

Grandpa Cole has plans to help JT build additions, like picnic tables and tents. Love it!

I should write Winter “Performance.” Having seven four-year-old girls do any sort of organized performance basically elevates their instructor, Miss Diadra, to sainthood. It was mostly us watching class, and a chance for Haley to wear a tutu and a special hair piece in her bun (holly berries!). Still, she was very excited. Jim even took off work to come watch.

Getting the giggles out before class

Enjoying her tutu

The men, happy to watch 😉

Stretching out

Waiting for directions

Jim brought Haley pink carnations for her big performance!

This week, I spent three days training at one of the Microsoft buildings in Bellevue. I had a room at the Hyatt the whole time I was gone, starting Sunday night. So Jim and the kids came to Bellevue on Sunday and we enjoyed an evening out together before they went back home for the week.

The Christmas tree in the lobby of the Hyatt – oh my!

Swimming in the pool

Snowflake Lane

Pizza outside for dinner!

Snowflake Lane from the sky bridge

The view from my training floor at Microsoft

This year we are enjoying our Advent season in several different ways. We choose to focus on the love story between God and His people during this special time of year. I made an Advent calendar with pockets last year, and this year I found a great activity (thanks, Katie!) to use with it. We draw a new character each day, and place it on the colorful poster of the scene of Bethlehem. It started with Isaiah, Zechariah (the prophet), and Micah. I love how we are telling the whole story!

I got a new sign for my kitchen from Rustic Pine Designs. We decided on this verse (Luke 1:49) as a family one day at lunch. (JT had suggested “ALL HAVE SINNED. Romans 3:23” but, while completely true, it wasn’t really the inspiring message Jim and I were going for!) The verse fits perfectly with Advent, and it happens to be Haley’s Cubbies verse this week.

We went to see A Charlie Brown Christmas at a local high school drama production with the Bonnells over the weekend. It was cute! I love that a public high school is using a Christmas production that includes a recitation of Luke 2.

Speaking of Luke 2, JT started looking up and reading verses from Haley’s Bible the other day. It was amazing, and my heart practically burst. He started with Luke 2:14. Now that he knows the New Testament books in order, he can look up anything in that section of the Bible. And since he is blossoming quickly into a reader of all things, he sat and read me several verses he knows. What a blessing!

Sunday we went to the Living Nativity at Discovery Baptist Church in Gig Harbor. It is amazing, and they have expanded the marketplace to be phenomenal. The kids just loved it. Haley got to go up and meet “baby Jesus” in the final scene.

Then we got hot cocoa with candy canes. A good end to a fun evening with Grandpa and Grandma Cole!

Jim managed to get our Christmas lights up in between rainy days, after the snow melted, which is great!

Also for Advent, the kids open a traditional window calendar daily (no candy!!) from Aunt Gena and Christmas books from Grandma and Grandpa Keene on Sundays. Haley has a “good deed” jar from her class at school that we draw each morning and try to fit in that day. Phew!

We had such fun hosting our friends the Schmalzes overnight. We had a yummy dinner, and while we were cooking, the girls dressed in matching Elsa dresses and painted their toe nails (thank you Grandma Keene!).

In the morning, the kids could be found snuggled in arm chairs, reading Golden Books.

Then we went and watching Haley sing with her class at a local church. She was so cute and confident up on stage!

After church, we went and watched Elisa race in Cyclocross. It was coooolllddd at first!

All week long, JT has been practicing verses to finish his Sparks book. Here he is studying after breakfast one day.

And then, Thanksgiving. We went to Grandma and Grandpa Cole’s house along with several of my aunts and uncles. Grandma and Grandpa Keene came too, and Preston as well.

After dinner we played Pictionary and watched the Seahawks. My kids loved playing Pictionary!

Waiting for dessert

The next day, the kids helped Grandma decorate for Christmas (and JT built a clock with Grandpa) while the adults saw Mockingjay.

 

Saturday, it snowed!!

After we came in, the kids ate snow slushies.

And then we decorated our house for Christmas and watched football.

We ended the day a little tense from the 99 points scores in the Iron Bowl, but happy for a win. Roll Tide!

I found out last week that I got a recognition and a certification.

First, I was selected as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert for 2015. Some of you may remember this as the reason we got to go to Barcelona in March. This year, the Global Forum is in Redmond, Washington. 😛 The participants from all over the world are super excited to come to the US. The people from the US are not as thrilled!

Also, I also found out that I passed my National Board Teaching Certificate. I am now a National Board Certified Teacher in English Language Arts for Early Adolescence… although don’t get me started on teaching math to elementary kids. 🙂 I worked on it from October to May last year and put in about 200 hours. It’s a major ordeal, including four 20-page papers, two 15-minute videos, and a six question, three hour exam. There is a 40% pass rate on one’s first try. I am so blessed to have had great support from my paper readers! The certification is good anywhere in the US (although we’re not moving any time soon), lasts ten years, and comes with an annual stipend.

In the past eleven days, I have traveled to Palm Springs, Anaheim, Great Falls, Billings, Missoula, and Portland. Not in that order. I went to Palm Springs for Kent School District for the iNACOL conference. It was 89 degrees.

At the Hard Rock Hotel with my work teammate, Laurie

Friday morning by the pool

The two other team members and I drove to Great Falls that night. It was -2 in the car on the pass, snowing and windy and icy. I wondered why I didn’t upgrade from the Impala at the rental counter!

Great Falls was cold, too. I had a little bit of time to drive around, put air in the rental car tires that were registering low, get lunch, and get out of town before the next big freeze that night.

And then I drove to Billings.

Totally clear which road I am on right now.

 

Soooo glad my audio book downloaded before I left town!

 

I walked one block to dinner from the hotel. It was -9 degrees out.

In the morning, I presented at the beautiful, new and improved Billings Public Library. Then I had lunch at this great little place called The Rex in “old town.”

Then I came home… for thirty hours or something, and then Saturday morning really early I flew to Anaheim. It was 70 degrees. The bummer was that I got a minivan at the rental counter, and I left my makeup and hair brush and contacts on the shelf in the closet at home as I walked out the door. The upside is that there was a Nordstrom on the way to the Anaheim Marriott, and I got my makeup done at the Clinique counter in 15 minutes before buying a hair clip at Claire’s before driving to my location.

I presented at the western region DECA conference. It was a one hour session!

 

I was across the street from Disneyland. Too bad I didn’t plan to stay longer than a couple of hours… Oh wait, that would have been so mean as our children would love to go someday!

Then I went to Portland. Quickly. In fact, I was only really in the airport before I got in a car and drove to my presentation location, and then I flew back home. 

Traditional PDX photo with lots of patterns going on

Sunny in Portland!

I am home now, and I don’t have any out of state trips planned for the next six weeks. Phew!

UW has this great Daddy-Daughter program, and this year Haley and Jim got tickets. They get to attend women’s sporting events and sit in the special “dads and daughters” section. It comes with a t-shirt for each person and lots of other little giveaways. Last night was the first event and they had a great time. I was really impressed with how much Haley told me about volleyball when she got home. We could tell she paid attention and had fun.

While they were gone, JT and I had our own plans. We went shopping for our Operation Christmas Child boxes and got them ready to drop off at church.

Then we made pita pizzas (a favorite!) and watched Turbo for the first time while snuggling and eating popcorn. It was fun night for everyone.