As Living Stones

Friday, December 25, 2009

Thursday, December 24, 2009

I thought it would be fun to post all of our past Christmas card photos this year. I do not know how I managed to get a decent card with the old hit-the-timer-and-run camera. We only got a choice of 24 or 36, and had to get them developed even! There would always be one clown making faces throughout the whole roll! Even now, with digital, I took about 100 photos and not one is "perfect"! But they make great memories. We skipped some years due to having babies or moving.

Our first Christmas with our first baby: (We didn't do cards that year, but here is Christmas Day 1995)

1998:

2000:

2001:

2002:

2003:

2005:

2007:

2008:

2009:

I tried different things.

In front of the holly next door, with the dog:

In front of the palm tree (California Christmas Tree):

The final cut:

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Operation Christmas Child

A couple of weekends ago, my two oldest and I went down south to work in an Operation Christmas Child processing center. For several years now, we have filled shoeboxes to send to needy kids around the world. This year, friends of ours are volunteers in the organization and invited us to be a part of this great ministry. We worked for a few hours going through the shoeboxes taking out anything perishable or breakable and made sure they were full enough. If not, there were extra things to add to the box. Some of the boxes were so full of great stuff, while others had very little in them. The kids will also get a gospel booklet in their language. Here are a few pics:

This man, named Jim, helped us with our many questions.

Assembly lines:

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Time Capsule: Sneak Peak

In one month from today we get to open our time capsule. I can't believe it has already been 10 years! When I packed it up, I had 4 kids under 5. The kids can't wait. I didn't let them see what I put in it, and they are convinced that they will find some of their long lost toys in there. It is only a big shoebox, so there is not much in there. I know of a few things, and honestly, it isn't all that exciting, but I am sure I can't remember everything I put in there! We have carried the box around with us through 4 different moves. If I had know I would be blogging about it, I would have made it look prettier. If you have not done a time capsule, now is a good time! If your kids will be out of the house in 10 years, it will be a good time to bring them all home for the event. We will be making another one this January, to be opened in 2020! My youngest will almost be 18! So stay tuned, on January 1, 2010 we will open the time capsule! Here is the ugly thing unopened and dusty. I covered our last name with the bookmark.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday was our 17th wedding anniversary! We had a wonderful time of Christmas shopping and going out to dinner. That's what you do when you get married on Thanksgiving weekend. :) Here we are at our wedding reception back in November, 1992 in Oregon:

One of the stores we went to yesterday was Costco, "just to see what toys they have". It was almost closing time, so we didn't have much time, but we found this cute thing:

It is an advent calendar. Each of the houses have numbered little doors that open. Even the top of the chimney and the little trees have doors. I am supposed to fill them with surprises. Some of the kids' ideas are candy, money, or Lego people. I better hurry!

Here is the front door open, number 13. We usually just buy the $1 one with the awful chocolate. This will be much more fun. It is just made of styrofoam poster board stuff, but if we are careful, it will last for years. It was only $15! We placed it on our piano. I'll probably change it a bit. The red glass doesn't go. :)