Christmas

Another Christmas come and gone. I hope that you all had a wonderful time with family and friends! We are still recovering from our holiday season - it goes by so fast and is so exhausting (especially for the kids).

We were all spoiled again as usual - our girls especially! I am still trying to find a place to put all of the new things that our loved ones so thoughtfully purchased for us. Greg has been spending a lot of time with his Play Station trying out all of his new games, I have been enjoying wearing my new clothes and the girls have been spending their free moments playing with their new toys.

This year, Santa brought Emily a Rose Petal Cottage. For those who don't know, it is a life size playhouse for girls (and boys too I suppose) and Emily and Danica have enjoyed playing together in it. It's quite funny to see them playing "house" together and I get some small glimpses of the next few years as their bond as sisters continues to grow.

We had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time with our extended family. We had numerous suppers and visits (my waistline is living proof of how much eating we did). We even had the opportunity to meet our new nephew, Tate. He was born at the end of October but as he lives very far away from us, we did not have the chance to meet him until now.

Emily and her cousins had lots of time to play together as well. I am always pleased with how quickly the kids fall back into their play time together. I can still hear Bennett calling for Emily!

Our best family shot (unfortunately)

Tate and Auntie Julie

Taking a break from gift opening

Cookies and milk ready for Santa - unfortunately Santa had to wait until after 10 pm to stop by as one excited little girl would not go to sleep!

Keizer wondering if this was finally his present...

All ready for church

Danica and Rosie hanging out

We tried hard to get a picture of all the kids together - unfortunately, these were the only three who co-operated

Tate with Uncle Greg (you have to wonder what he is thinking)

Success!!

Emily had her singing challenge this past Sunday and she did a great job! She sang, did her actions and most importantly - there were no fish lips to be seen. Of course, we had discussed the whole fish lips issue and if you ask her what the rule was for Sunday, she would tell you that no fish lips were allowed.

This will most likely be my last post before I break for the holiday season. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of our blogging friends and their families all the best over the holiday season and in the New Year. May the peace of our Lord and Saviour fill your heart this season.

Blessings!

Greg, Julie, Emily and Danica

I have reservations...

This past Sunday after church, the Sunday school kids met in the sanctuary to practice their songs that they are going to be singing this upcoming Sunday.

All the kids were lined up and they all started to sing and do the actions to the songs - all of them but my child that is. My child instead chose to turn her back to the front of the congregation and stare at the kids singing behind her. When she did finally turn her attention towards the front again, she started making fish lips.

On another note - I am extremely grateful for a heated, indoor parking space at work. Could it be any colder???

Miracles Happen

Just over a year ago, I was sharing a meal with a dear friend of mine. I was nearing the end of what was a fairly difficult pregnancy with Danica and we were discussing some rather bad news of hers. She was just starting the process of seeing a specialist because she was "broken" (in her words) and it was not likely that she was going to be able to conceive a baby on her own.

The lunch that we shared and the conversation that came from it touched my heart immensely (I posted about that lunch briefly here - The van Leeuwen Clan: Good Friends) and I have spent that last year and a bit praying daily for this friend and lifting her up to God.

One day this past spring, I received a phone call from her that filled my heart with joy - she had taken a pregnancy test on a whim and of all things it came back positive. Since then, I have been blessed with being able to share in her pregnancy.

On Monday, at 5:30 in the morning, God's plan came full circle and little Maxwell (Max) Rorke was born. He weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces and was 21 inches long. I cried at my desk at work after getting the phone call that he was here and that he was healthy. He is the cutest little thing and my heart actually aches with happiness for my friend.

Miracles really do happen...