We have been really enjoying ourselves this month. I love the Christmas season and love the excitement my kids have about this time of year. We wanted to be able to take advantage of the month and not let it pass us by and wonder what we'd done as a family together. So here are some of the things we've been filling our time with. Our friends family bought this beautiful carriage from the Amish folk and we got a chance to go for a fun winter ride on the snowy streets and feel the chill in the air. The kids loved it they didn't want to get out. What life would've been like when this is how you had to get around. What a wonderfully simple time.
One of the other things we did was go ice skating. The Christian loved it and can't stop talking about when we can go again. It was a lot of fun Faith even got in on the action. She really did not want this stranger to take our picture though as you can see from the pic. I have fond memories of ice skating too so it's always fun for me to go and remember the good old days when I was limber and carefree with the stunts I'd try. :)
This is all the grankids on my Arnell side. We hosted the Christmas party at our home this year and I loved it. I loved getting out my Christmas china and having everyone in our home. The kids love being together and they enjoyed the unfinished basement to run around crazy in. They were so cute doing the story of Christ's birth and we had a perfect little baby Riley to fill the role of baby Jesus. My mom put in an order for a new baby for next years show. I'm not sure I'm ready to be the one to perform on that request but it is about our turn if we're going to add another little one to the clan. The kids have not stopped playing with there gifts Grandma and Granpa did really good this year!
This was Christian at his school performance. Now this picture doesn't really capture how he looked during the performance. It was so cute and funny to watch. He knew every word of every part of the progream and sat with his shoulders slumped over and head down singing the whole time. Other than the occasional half wave to mom and dad. He is dreadfully shy and it was a joy to watch him endure this moment. :) He also had the last part in the show and gave out a big "We wish you a Merry Christmas" he was so brave and felt so good about it when it was all over, but boy you could sure see him sweating during that last song before his part. He's so sute. Nikki's program was darling too. We weren't on the front row which is our normal place in any of the past school programs but we just don't have the routine down for the new school. Apparently we need to get there sooner than I thought. She's our little performer so she thrives on this kind of thing. I have to laugh often about her singing and dancing around the house just like her mommy did as a little girl. Ok well you all know I still get in on the act as often as Nikki will allow!!! I most of all just love this time of year that we get to spend time together with the people we love the most. I am so blessed in my life and I feel that so much when I'm surrounded by the greatest blessings in my life...my family! Merry Christmas and I better say Happy New Year too since I'm so great at posting.
Interpreted "I think I can". This is a new phrase we've been trying to teach Faith as she's been learning to ride her bike. She would get on her bike and immediately say I can't do it. So we pumped her up with positive thinking and she actually does quite well on her bike and you can often here her chanting to herself. I sink my can, I sink my can. What a lesson for me sometimes I want to just say, I can't do it. I can't run another step. I can't clean another floor etc... Life on some days seems daunting for one reason or another, but I can look at my cute little girlie on her bike and tell myself I sink my can too!!! Thanks Faith for the inspiration. :) 
