Are You Ready to Bowl?

Santa brought our family a Wii game system this year for Christmas.  We've had so much fun playing Wii games together as a family after dinner.  It has become our new family fun time each night.  It is great for unwinding after a long day.  It is great for friendly competition and banter.  It is great for strengthening the one arm that you use to operate the remote control.  And it is great for initiating laughter.  Everyone needs a good laugh, right?  Well, here is one that makes Michael and I laugh every time.  This is a clip of Calleigh bowling.  She is an excellent bowler and even scores over 100 in a game.  However, she has quite an intense swing which nearly catapults her across the room, as you will soon see.  Check it out.  I dare you not to laugh :-)

Wordless Wednesday

Hopelessly Devoted To You

Who would have thought two little three-year-old kids would proclaim their devotion to each other.  Who would have thought those same kids, now eight years old, would continue to proclaim their devotion to each other?

Carson and Isabella met in Sunday School at our church in Texas.  They begged their mommies to plan a play date so they could spend some fun play time outside of church.  And so it began. Despite Isabella moving out of state - twice - and Carson moving across country, the two remain hopelessly devoted to one another.  So much so that Carson mailed a jeweled ring to Isabella with a note attached asking her to marry him.  He even tells the little girls chasing him at school and church that they can stop their pursuit because he already has a girlfriend.   

Over the Christmas holiday, Carson and Isabella spent time together while their families hung out.  They picked up right where they left off.  They are two very sweet kids and it was fun to see them together again.  Who knows what their future holds.  But for now, it is cute to see them so enamored with one another.

Back To Bethlehem

Last night we took the kids back in time to a little town called Bethlehem.  Our church hosts this very elaborate production where a portion of the church property is transformed, literally, into Bethlehem.  The kids entered into a world of the past when our Savior was born.  Some of the things they were to experience included visiting with carpenters and stone masons. . . 

pressing olives into olive oil. . .

feeding and petting sheep and goats. . .

and petting a donkey similar to the one Mary rode upon on their journey into Bethlehem. . .

There were also basket weavers, women making bread, potters, people selling their spices and fruits & nuts, shepherds, angels singing in the distance, the Inn which had no room to spare, and a stable with Mary and Joseph holding their newborn baby Jesus.

It was really cool to give the kids a chance to "see" the nativity and experience what life was like when Christ was born.  It can be so hard to imagine a different time and place, especially for children who know no different.  We can also become so comfortable with the story of Christ's birth that we forget so many significant details of the time period.  This was a great holiday tradition for our family, our church, and for the community.

Yes, Virginia. There really is. . .

. . .a Griswold family.

If only pictures could really capture the extent of the decorations and lights.  Merry Christmas from the "Christmas House" in Simi Valley!

Oh Christmas Tree

This morning Calleigh serenaded us as she dressed for school.  One of her songs of choice was Oh Christmas Tree.  However, she altered the lyrics a little.  Here is her lyrical version.  You will have to provide your own musical soundtrack.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

How lovely are your branches

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

How lovely are your branches

My Savior reigns

My Savior reigns

My Savior reigns

My Savior reigns

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

How lovely are your branches (imagine this last line sung long and drawn out)

My heart smiles for my little songbird.  Only Calleigh can turn a song about a tree into a worship song.  Although I am pretty sure she intended to sing "rains" instead of "reigns" since she has no concept for the latter.  :-)

Christmas Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are fun.  Not only for teenagers trying to win some really cool prizes at a church youth group event.  They are fun for little kids, too.  Yesterday our kiddos experienced the fun that can be had with such events.  

We attended our very first Christmas scavenger hunt.  This tradition began years ago with Sandi Seal and the Johnson family.  She bought little gifts for the Johnson kids, Haleigh and Dayne, and then hid them around the house.  Last year the Cunningham family was invited to join in the fun.  So Colin was able to experience a scavenger hunt along with Haleigh and Dayne.  This year we were invited to join the fun, and I am so glad we did.  Each child had ten little gifts (that is 50 gifts total!) and they were all hidden around the Johnson's house.  They took turns finding one gift at a time until all of the gifts were found.  Then they were sorted into stacks of ten and the kids ooohhed and aaahhed over their pile of presents.  

(the kids and their stack of presents)

After a quick dinner (the kids were anxious to open their presents!), the kids took turns opening their presents.  Their squeals of delight when they opened their treasures was priceless.  The present that had all of the boys laughing (and the grown-up laughing, too) was the "tooting toy" - you put your finger in this can of gooey stuff and it makes a tooting sound.  It sounds so realistic!

 

(Haleigh and Calleigh) and (Dayne, Colin and Carson)

Today they have enjoyed playing with their goodies - floam, puzzles, cars, etc.  It was great fun.  Thank you Johnson's for hosting and Sandi for including Carson and Calleigh in your Christmas tradition.