The Four Sisters Pic

I just realized I forgot to blog this. Kinda toothy!
Julia, Marianna, Andrea, Paula; Christmas 2009

Cousin Love

Edward Maria and Bridget get to see their cousins about twice a year - in the summer and at Christmas time. So, it's kind of amazing how much they love to be together when they finally are!

Maria, Allie, Bridget, Paige and Tiffany

Trey, Hunter, Edward and Sammy

Laura & boyfriend Clark, Michelle, Mara, Brian, Edward, German exchange student Chiara, and Bridget; the oldest, Stephen wasn't here yet

A View of Edward's Birthday from the Chandeleir

Two Decades Old

Edward's 20th Birthday Party

Yesterday, we celebrated Christmas and Edward's birthday. Since this was the 20th year of doing this, we have become pros at gathering round the red velvet cake and singing happy birthday for a photo while I run in from my camera set on the tripod. Some things are just tradition! This year however, my sister Andrea's family joined us -usually it is Paula's family. He is always well celebrated on this day.

Happy Birthday Jesus...

... and Edward. 20 years ago today.

Merry Christmas to All

The Christmas Elves...

...have been a great help this year!!!

Listen

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

A Shining Thing

Whatever else be lost among the years,
Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing:
Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears,
Let us hold close one day, remembering
Its touching meaning for the hearts of men.
Let us get back our childlike faith again.
-Grace Crowell

Flash Back Friday 144

Maria & Bridget, December 1998

Winter Wonderland

Ok, I am finally getting with the program here, accepting the fact that winter has arrived. We had our first official snow this past Thursday night and most of the local schools were closed on Friday - not for our kids though! I had a quiet Friday to catch up on some photo things I needed to do - edits, ordering, taking winter time pix, getting into the season, etc. - just what my soul needed! I LOVE the first snow, it is so, so beautiful, but I admit, it gets old sometime in the vicinity of January/February.

And just in case you can't get enough of winter, here is my December 09 Snow Set.

Deck the Halls '09

A friendly Christmas ghost came to set up our tree this weekend!

We had such a fun weekend with Edward home from Calvin and time spent with John's family. The kids and I actually put up the tree and John did the outdoor lights.

And then I got such a kick out of Bridget when she got the Christmas angels out. These angels, one made by Maria and the other made by Bridget, sit on top of the posts on the railing by the stairs.

She said to Maria, "Let the games begin!" When I asked her about that comment, she told me that she and Maria switch the posts that their angels sit on when the other isn't looking since one of the posts is kind of behind the Christmas tree and doesn't get the best view from all angles. I had no idea of their angelic competition.

Flash Back Friday 137

Sister Paula needed to make the flashback! Christmas, 2004

Greetings from Around the World

Yesterday, in the mail, I received a nice surprise. My first blogger friend, Pearlie from Malaysia, sent me the above Christmas tree card which she drew. When I opened it up, lo and behold, the handwriting could have been that of any old American friend of mine! How fun is that? Her son also contributed to the greeting by drawing the above portraits of John & me. Another example of how we're all alike deep down - it could have been drawn by my kids when they were younger! Thanks Pearlie & Calvin!

A Few More Christmas Photos

I just wanted to post a few more Christmas photos before it's over.


Girl cousins with Opa


Boy cousins


John with Maria


Tiff with her new bag


Christmas morning with coffee and John

The Four Sisters Photo

After yesterday's Christmas photo of 40 years ago, I thought it would be fun to show this Christmas with one additional sister.

We always pose for the Four Sisters Photo when we're together. I guess I forgot to wear holiday dress. What can I say? I was coming from the rough, cold, snowy North. We had a GREEN Christmas in Ohio after having suffered through all the snowfall in Michigan :)

Our 5 daughters also get to pose together. Fun times.

Flash Back Friday 100

Julia, Marianna, Andrea, Christmas 1968

Love Thursday

Today we celebrate the day when Love came down. Have a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Spirit

Even Leo seems to be getting it...

... it's been snowing and snowing and snowing...


... leaving our fence looking like a big birthday cake!


We will be heading over the river and through the woods this afternoon to Celeryville for Christmas Eve!

Sharing a Birthday with Jesus

Back when I was overdue with Edward 19 years ago, I remember an old lady walked up to me at church and told me I was cheating my baby having it so close to Christmas. This didn't set too well with me at the time being overdue and all, but I've since realized what a blessing it was for our son to be born on the day when peace and joy reign.

No one could plan a bigger celebration of your birth! You have the whole anticipation of Advent building up to the day and everyone is bustling all about you. Instead of rubber balloons that pop, there are millions of bright white and colorful lights glowing in every home, and instead of clowns doing magic tricks for your friends, you get to gather around a beautiful tree with your family and eat Red Velvet cake and peppermint stick ice cream.

And so, Edward loves his Christmas birthday even if he does get birthday presents sometimes wrapped in Christmas paper, and he never sees his friends on that day, and the best one - the COMBINED Christmas/Birthday present :)

Edward, a jolly old Santa

Blizzard-y Family Christmas

Today, we woke up to blizzard-like conditions here in Michigan & our church was cancelled. We ventured out though in John's Tank, er...Volvo to John's sister's for our Christmas party.

Edward was given the Santa job and he took it very seriously!


John's Mom gave all the girls cute rubber-soled Mary-Janes:


And they danced with joy!


The boys loved the ice cream part. You can see they are dancing on the inside.

Sticking Together

"Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things but look at what they can do when they stick together."

One of my latest Facebook friends is the local meteorologist and yesterday, I noticed her status was something about tracking a blizzard for Sunday (today). I'm already tired of snow and it's only the first day of winter! (It might have something to do with low iron and B-12 levels, but we're working on getting those up.) Someone had written the above quote on her wall which carries a lot of truth with it even with regards to more than just snowflakes.

P.S. Let me know if you're on Facebook and we can get in touch there :)

Flash Back Friday 99

Edward, Christmas Day, 1989

This was the best Christmas present we ever received. He was born at 12:41 am on Christmas day 19 years ago! A Christmas miracle!

Joy to the World

Today, I took photos at the church Christmas program and made this slide show primarily for our church's blog, but here too, I wanted to leave the message! Press on the little speaker next to the star for music.

Flash Back Friday 98

Christmas 1999, The Blogger looking like a pension analyst with her 3 kids looking like angels

Inside the Snowglobe

The other evening, I was looking out the window at our Christmas lights and wishing all the world could see them under the gently falling snow. So... to accomplish this, I took the above photo. If you put your mouse over it, you will see just a bit of the glory.

The Halls Are Decked

This past weekend, the garland and bows were hung from our fence... in time for a gentle evening snow.



Leo immediately found his spot under the tree.



And Maria also enjoyed a spot near the tree.