Santa rings the doorbell

Every year, after we tell the real Christmas story, Al slips away saying he has to go to the bathroom.  While he is busy with his "duty", Santa appears to pass out gifts!  After Santa leaves, Al comes back and is clearly upset that once again he has missed Santa's appearing!

* * * * * * *

This year, the children were talking that they would find Papa.  But after the Christmas play, while everyone was signing their autographs, Al slipped out - this time to the garage!  All of a sudden the children realized Papa was missing!   So they ran to the back room to find him.

The doorbell rang and who should appear but....

 Santa!

Where are the reindeer, Santa?

 Santa passed out the stockings.

 

I always debate about what to put in the stockings....(oh, I mean, Santa is always wondering what the elves should pack in them)

 Everyone always gets socks. 

 A challenge to find them for this big fella's feet!

 There is always something for Mindy's kitty too.

Yes, these are for real!

Other things found in stockings:  beauty products like chapstick, lipsticks, nailpolish; 

always a chocolate Santa, 

note cards, pens, items for the kitchen, food, earrings,colorful Band-aids for the kids, stickers, markers....

I look all year for items to stash away  (as Santa's helper, of course)

 Then it is time for Santa to say good-bye.

A little sheep is sad to see him go.

He'll be back next year!

And now it is time to open more gifts........!!!

"The Christmas Story" written and directed by Hannah

We like to read the Christmas story before we open gifts.  This year, however, the children spent all afternoon planning to put on a program for us.

Hannah wrote and directed the following play, without any help from grownups.

She also designed and printed a program or playbill.  

The Narrator

Here is the play printed as is (unedited):

Welcome evrybody to "The Chistmas Sotry" play!  Inside your programs you will find a "atograph page".  After the show you can get atographs from the cast.  Without ferther adew, ladys and gentelmen "The Chistmas Story".

Seen 1
In the small town of Nasereth Mary a young vergen was cooking a dilishus meal.

(acting)



Seen 2
That night Josiph, Mary's betrothed went to sleep and had a dreem.... (acting)


Seen 3
Caesar Augustus made a decree that all the world shoud be counted.  At the same time Mary was hevy with child.

Seen 4

They went to Bethlehem.  All they could find to seep in was an old stable.

Seen 5
I the feeds outside the vilige sheperds were waching their seep.  They saw a bright star....

(sheep with Baby Jesus)

 

Seen 6

Wisemen were waching the sky and they saw a difrent star.  This star was biger and brighter than the others.  The misghah is born!  Let's go see him!

 

 (all at the manger.)

end

bowing and giving atographs

Thanks for comming to see "The Cristmas Story" play!

Christmas on New Years Day

Our son and his family arrived from Arkansas on New Year's Eve.  

Therefore, this meant we didn't celebrate Christmas until New Year's Day.

Oshogatsu omedeto!  or Happy New Years!
                   and 
              Kurisumasu omedeto!  Merry Christmas!

Here in America Christmas is a big deal, a wonderful holiday - Christ's birthday celebration!  But in Japan the most important holiday is New Year's, with origins in the religious significance of purification.  Businesses shut down Jan. 1 - 3.  Families spend time together.

 Bamboo or pine decorates the entrance of the homes.

 Our Christmas gifts were still under our pine!

I fixed holiday food.

I didn't fix this.  I bought it.  Rice cakes filled with red bean paste.  It is quite time consuming to make.  My kids used to call them "baby bottoms" because they are very soft on top, like a baby's bottom.

 I remember watching our neighbors make mochi!  Fascinating.

We always got so much omochi for New Year's from lots of people.  When my parents first went to Japan, they got so much of it and at that time they weren't fond of it.  Mom tells me that one year she had Dad bury it in the back yard so no one would know that they didn't want it!  I cannot even begin to imagine that.  LOVE LOVE omochi and wish we could get the real deal here.  Maybe I can order on-line?

Claire was very ready for us to begin eating our Christmas meal! 

 She could not wait and wanted to raid the pantry.

Happy New Year's and a very merry and belated Christmas posting!

Top Ten

For the past few days I have seen the Top Ten lists on television and in the newspaper.  I thought I would go through 2013 and make my own list.  My top 10 favorite things for this past year.  In no particular order:

1.  Our Biblical studies trip to Israel



Sheepfold

Caesarea Maritima

Overlooking Capernaum and Sea of Galilee

2.  Judgement House
This is a walk through drama that our church has done for 6 years.

 After much prayer, I took on the role as Prayer Director, not an easy shoe to fill after my predecessor.  God doesn't need our prayers for Him to act, of course, but He DOES act because of the prayers of His people!  Someone once said that "prayer is the slender nerve that moves the hand of God."  There was a great team of pray-ers and prayer walkers and God answered in great ways!

Al was one of the Gospel presenters, to explain more clearly the story of God's rescue of His people.

So many lives changed!

3.  Cemeteries

Each year we do various "travel" trips.  This year we chose to visit cemeteries.  One each month. A few were:

 

Betsy Ross

Ben Franklin

Immigrant Volga crosses in NW Kansas

A mass grave of 17 little children of immigrants (some were our relation)

4.  Moves
Adam and Jill's family moved 1/2 hour away.  We don't like that, but we do know God's hand is in it.  At least they aren't in another state or another country - at least, not now!


Mindy moved to a new apartment

And after his fall, Dad was moved to a room in health care.  Mom is just right across the street and sees him 2-3 times a day.  They are only 10 minutes away from us so we visit frequently too.

5.  Visit from far-off relatives
My mother's brothers from Ohio came for a visit.  What a very, special time!!

6.  Japanese get-together
We had a pot luck with friends with Japan connections.

 7.  Photographing

One of my favorite hobbies is to take photos of nature.  I LOVE to see God's handiwork.  I am lifted in such praise to Him for creation!!  So that is something I did often this past year.

An eagle out my window!

A heron pierces a blue gill.


A hawk sits on my deck.

God paints amazing skies! 

8.  Mom's Miracle
In November, while at Adam and Jill's house, my mother fell down a flight of stairs.  13-14 steps!  She hit her head on a door jam at the bottom.  We seriously thought she had broken her neck and had died.  But she was only unconsciousness and after 2 days in the hospital, she was sent home and is just fine!!  I guess God is not done with her yet!

9. Teaching
I had several opportunities to teach this year.
*Once a month I teach the little children who attend Mom2Mom, a ministry of older mom's to younger mom's.
*Once every 6 weeks, I help with children's church at Adam and Jill's church.
*I gave a talk to the Awana T&T girls using a slide presentation about birds; I also teach the young Cubbies and Sparks their stories on rotation.
*I was a speaker to the young mothers at M2M in March and spoke about prayer; sharing practical tips for them and for their children.
*I continue to help lead a young mother's Bible study with a friend of mine each week.  We have 16 young moms in the group this fall.
*I am mentoring a young mom one-to-one.

10. Last but not at all the least - loving the grandkids!

We took Hannah and Sophia to Mary Poppins
 

Claire began walking this year and is learning new words all the time!

We made a few trips down to Arkansas this year to see these two.

Being a grandparent is GRAND!

* * * * * * * * * * *

 So now it is 2014.  A verse I have picked for myself is Romans 12:12

                             Be joyful in hope,
                                      patient in affliction,
                                                faithful in prayer.