Holidays and Cambodia

Christmas is fast approaching. The girls and I are on our own (with the help of grandparents and friends) because Kevin left the country on December 5th and will return on December 19th. He went with a worship team from our church to Cambodia and Vietnam. Here are a few photos:

photo credit: Tim Sites

Handing out rice and school supplies to the children

photo credit: Tim Sites

Worship event for the school children

photo credit: Tim Sites

Watch a video about Advent Conspiracy and how the money raised during AC helped the people Kevin is with in Cambodia.

AC - ROOFS AND WELLS from Imago Dei on Vimeo.

The man in the above video is Josh Butler who led the team to Cambodia. He is the Pastor of Global Outreach and Worship at Imago Dei. Our family attends one of their church plants called House Of Providence

Catching Up

Beatrix's first photo shoot-

Our friend Danielle Turley took these photos when Beatrix was about a week old. Wow the time has flown. Beatrix is now about 3 1/2 months old. She has been drooling and sucking her hand and thumb a lot (teething?) Yesterday, got her foot in her mouth.

Lots of laughs and happy smiles. Laid back, easy to please, good sleeper at night. My mom prayed that our second one would be a little more mellow. God definitely answered that prayer.I think she looks just like Kevin.

That's what everyone else says, but in the last few weeks, they have started saying that she is looking more like Ella. The above photo is Beatrix at 3 months. The below photo is Ella at around 5 months:

First Art of Baby Sister

In church one Sunday, the kids read a Bible story about Isaac when he was a baby. They were asked to paint pictures of the baby. The adults drew bean shaped baby figures and the kids painted and added googly eyes. When I came to pick her up, she insisted that the baby she drew was not Isaac, but OUR baby. She pointed out where she had drawn the arms, the nipples, and the belly button with umbilical cord. I would say this was her first real drawing of a person with parts drawn in the "right" places. This will definitely go in the scrapbook.

Chrismas 2009

This was the first year that Ella really "got it" when we talked about Christmas and Advent, Jesus birth and the Christmas story. Knowing that she was able to comprehend and anticipate, everyday I put a note in our advent calendar about something special we would do that day. It ranged from drinking hot chocolate while watching a Christmas movie, to making sandwiches for the kids at our homeless shelter. We made lots of crafts and went to The Grotto

Christmas decorating when you have kids: paper snowflakes on patio doors, Fisher Price "Little People" nativity set, handmade ornaments on tree.

Christmas Day with Kevin's folks

Christmas Eve

Annual Family photo as requested by my mom: backrow: my brother Scott, my husband Kevin

front row, my sister-in-law Becky, Ella, me 28 weeks pregnant

Annual trek to downtown Portland in celebration of Ella's birthday. We go to Macy's Santaland, a photo booth for family photos, and Finnegan's Toy store to look around.

Uncle Scott and Ella

Christmas Crafting

Once again, I went with homemade Christmas gifts for the family. I am really good about starting early with the ideas and purchasing of materials, but then I postpone the actual making of the items until the last minute. I am sure I am the only one who does this, right? Here are some of the gifts created this year.

Stockings made with fabric I purchased last year. It's probably a good thing I waited though, because instead of three stockings, I needed to make four in anticipation of the new baby who will be here next Christmas:

Hard to see everything here, but this is an overall shot of everything we made

Magnetic Advent calendar.

The large red magnets say GIVE MORE, SPEND LESS, LOVE ALL, WORSHIP FULLY The smaller magnet is for moving to the appropriate date.

Fabric journal with freezer paper stencil. I took bundles of paper and sewed them together. Then the bundles were glued onto chipboard that was covered with fabric on the outside and decorative paper on the inside.

Leather journal with visible decorative stitching on spine to bind paper and leather together. With both journals, I included some info about One Thousand Gifts . The idea is to start writing your blessings down until you reach 1000.

Glass Tile pendant necklaces. I took art from magazines, photos, and quotes to create necklaces specifically for the intended recipient.

Photo scrapbook made for my nephew who is graduating this year. Inside, are blank pages, with some inspirational quotes.

Sleeping and Reading

Why is it that I can never stop myself from taking pictures of my sleeping child or when she is "reading" a book. I just find it irrisistible. Indulge me while I post a few more photos

Sleeping on Momma's pregnant belly

Reading

Sleeping

Sleeping with Book

Doggy Party

For Ella's 3rd Birthday in December, she wanted a doggy theme after seeing this book so I told her I would TRY to duplicate them. They came out pretty well, if I do say so myself:

that girl loves dogs!