Christmas in the Country

Christmas

The celebration of Christ's birth.  

Is there a more exciting time of year?!

 Extra time for fun, family projects

 

Hearing from friends both near and far

Decorating gingerbread houses

Making yummy treats

 

 Even the older boys couldn't resist making a few candy turtles when passing through the kitchen.

Dressing the farm for the celebration

Updating the fridge with new pictures from friends and family

A contented mama who knows what it's like to give birth in a manger

 
A less stressed winter work schedule that allows for an early morning hunt
Good job, Elliott! 
 

         The enjoyment of involving younger kids in helping assemble topiaries 
from white styrofoam balls and boxwood clippings.

Multi-purposing the Food Bank apples and oranges for the pigs

 to first serve as ornaments on the tall cedar tree outside

Improvising with two tiny trees found outdoors when the pre-lit Christmas tree 

smoked and melted at what should have been the annual grand illumination

 Watching a documentary about Lee Strobel's "Case For Christ" 
while stringing popcorn for our make-shift indoor Christmas trees.

  Rather than a trip to Toys R Us, as has been the case for almost a quarter century, the kids all opted for shopping at Bass Pro Shop this year, complete with a Santa, shooting range games, and remote controlled trains.

 

Christmas - 

so much sweeter with Stephen, Meredith, and baby Margaret 

joining us as we made our rounds to the relatives' houses over the holidays

What a very joyful baby little Margaret is!

Sheridan loves spending time with her big sister.

The guys enjoyed a game of pool at PaPa and Pat Pat's house.

And Wii, too.

 

A very thoughtful second cousin gave Sheridan all of her American Girl
 toys from when she was young.

Margaret loves the new toys, too.

Sheridan blessed Nannie by reciting the 
Virtuous Woman passage from Proverbs 31: 10-31.

We enjoyed having Oma along with Meredith's family join us at our house for a fun,

 snacky supper while watching "Home Alone."

A great way to begin a day at the farm.  Good work, Stephen.

Sheridan got the one thing she hoped for: 
a pink BB gun.  
The pink cowgirl hat was a bonus for sure.

Stephen bought these sweet matching gowns for his two special girls.

Margaret loves books more than anything.

Sisters

Amazing - it's Jesus' birthday but we're the ones getting all the presents!

Quickly becoming a New Year's tradition -

 attending the Crisis Pregnancy Center
 "Civil War Charity Ball"
We missed Elliott as he had already left for his mission trip
 to Africa several days earlier.

It's like stepping back in time with the girls in beautiful,
 old-fashioned dresses

Our good friends, Daniel and Rachel Heffington, with Sheridan and Harrison

Sullivan, loving every minute of it

Oliver, our bow tie-loving boy

Harrison and his patient partner who sweetly followed his lead although she really did know how to waltz.

                                                            

This Christmas season, as others, we have much to be thankful for. 

 God has been so kind to allow us to make so many precious memories with our friends and family.