Opa came, as usual, to spend a few days with us before Christmas!:)
Evie enjoying some apples that Opa brought.....
Having pizza in the living room. Since Gondola's (a pizza place Dad went to growing up in Whittier) is too far- Daddy found a similar place close by! He was excited to discover that the owners grew up in Whittier not far from his childhood home!
Daddy had to get some work done that evening- Evie was eager to help!
Having fun with Opa!
We opened our presents and stockings early this year since Opa was visiting! Here, the boys were very eager to see how Opa liked his knife Daniel carved for him out of wood!
A family picture for his wall....
Daddy distributing presents....
This Christmas, Evie could open her packages all by herself!! She was pretty thrilled!
Thanking Opa for her new bed set....
While Mom striped the old bed set off, the little ones were busy helping. This is such a classic picture!;)
Very happy with her new bed!
Excited!
The older boys got three matching t-shirts....
the little boys got matching "illegal" shirts!!;) We thought that was pretty neat!!!
Matching accessory bags for our purses with Carmex and pluckers, among other useful items!!
Electric Razors for our older guys!
Our group present was a family tent!! We lost our other one on our WA trip due to a bad windstorm- we are very glad for a new one!
Slim-Jim's and two gift cards for Daddy!
We slept that night in the tent, which was an adventure and pretty cold! About 4 am, 9 very sleepy, cold, and less enthusiastic, people hurried inside with blankets and pillows-the adventure was over! It was still a good opportunity to use the tent and though I did not share the excitement most everyone else did for the excursion-I am glad Mom had me do it too.;)
Christmas morning we enjoyed a slow, laid back brunch......
Clean-up.....even on Christmas...;)
One of the ladies at our new church had given us a gingerbread house.....
Everyone helped-guys on construction and girls on décor.....
filling in the cracks with frosting to hold the house together....
Almost ready to be decorated!
The little boys really enjoyed doing the gingerbread house! We hadn't done one since Isaiah was born-13 years ago!
Extra frosting fun!;)
Ryan enjoying his favorite- pumpkin pie!
It was a nice and relaxing day, but some kids wanted to catch-up on schoolwork-a wise choice of their time!
Our Christmas card wall.....:) We thought this was a lot and then had more come in after this picture was taken!;) Can you find your card?;)
That weekend we had a fun surprise! Some of Daddy's biological relatives were visiting from out of state that Saturday and wanted to meet Daddy and his family! We worked the day before to make sure everything was clean; and here, Evie was helping mow the lawn. Most little children are terrified of this machine, but not her!;)
The relatives arrived and everyone was introduced! Natey was showing the Grandfather and Daddy's aunt's husband his puppet here....
Daddy sharing the story of his biological search.....
Working in the kitchen with Dad's aunt Sue......
visiting.....
Eagerly waiting for some food....
Dad's uncle Mark...can you see the resemblance??
Auntie "Lola" (grandma in Filipino-what we kids call her) Dad's Aunt Sue, made ham, green beans and mushrooms, potatoes, and salad with blueberries...
Autie Lola talking with her husband Gary......
We all squeezed together to take a family picture! The Lord was really with us and we took less than 5 pictures!! That's a record!!
Enjoying some homemade iced coffee-a Christmas gift!
On New Year's Eve, Daddy took us older ones to church for a game night! We enjoyed playing some games and lots of yummy snacks!
Playing Mafia.....
Amy and the "older Nathaniel" cutting paper for tele-pictionary....
Everyone had 18 pieces of paper to draw on. First, the people would write a phrase on the paper and then pass their stack to the person sitting next to them. With their new stack of papers, with a phrase written on it-they had 30 seconds to draw a picture of what the phrase described, then pass it. Eventually you would end up with a stack of papers, a picture on top and have to figure out what you thought the picture was, draw your own version and then pass it. A blank paper meant a new phrase was needed. definitely an art testing game!;)
Trying to figure out what the picture is.....
passing....
Drawing away....
Ashlee was the faithful timer and game assistant.;)
Caytlin and Susanna Smith trying to analyze a drawing.....
After the game was over Daddy led in a time of prayer. We all left church long before midnight but back at home our family was still awake when the new year rang in! Praise the Lord for another year of His faithfulness! 2014 is here! With this new year, it's important to get our focus back onto the things of the Lord, as the busyness and distraction of the world can be so consuming. It is our hope and prayer that this year, not matter what comes our way, how things may go, that the Lord Jesus is the sole focus and purpose of our lives.
"That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:10-14
