Here we are January 6th, 2014, and things have FINALLY calmed down! Routine is just about to start again, (school starts tomorrow), and I can now look back over the hundreds of pictures I took in the last 2 weeks and remember the great winter break we had (besides me and James getting nasty colds that lasted most of the break!)
Christmas caroling in the neighborhood!
Rilyn LOVES singing (and an audience), can you tell? lol
Christmas Eve was quiet with a beautiful service at our church, and then we counted the money in our Shepherd’s pouches. The kids earned enough money from the month of serving to buy safe playground equipment for the children at a Compassion Center, and Rilyn picked out the gift of a water well for a family. It was a beautiful way to end the night before Christmas. Asher had a small breakdown when he realized HE wasn’t getting the playground equipment, but he also has never been to a developing country like the girls, and doesn’t have the understanding of being without. More opportunity to pray for his heart. We discussed how much they had earned, and prayed that next year they could double that total. Honestly, many times it was hard to watch them for serving opportunities because their hearts would be hard to it. I would leave a laundry basket of Asher’s clothes out in the hallway, hoping one of the girls would see it, and offer to put his clothes away without being asked. It never happened. Sigh. Shepherd’s Pouches are a good reminder of how selfish our hearts are to serving others. I’m just as guilty, but it was tough to see how many missed opportunities the kids have to serve each other, even when I made it very obvious and easy for them. I pray that years down the road, they will make quadaruple the amount of money because of soft hearts to serve each other!
Christmas morning started with us putting the last ornament on our Jesse Tree.
Ella putting the star on the Jesse Tree
We read this book 
each day of Advent to change it up a bit. I really enjoyed the book. The imagery the author uses to tell the Bible stories is really beautiful. It made the Bible stories come alive for me in a fresh way!
Christmas morning-the Shepherd’s Pouches are replaced with their stockings!
Asher’s favorite stocking stuffer? His whoopie cushions!
Rilyn got the boots she wanted!
Ella and her elephants! She got the middle size one for Christmas this year!
Asher the artist! He got his own mini easel and paint!
Their big gift this year was an xbox! Here they are opening a game which made them realize they got one!
Well, Asher didn’t understand. He yelled, “I got the Cars 2 movies!” Ella was already running to the living room where the xbox was. LOL
Rilyn got Just Dance!
We ended our morning with birthday cake for Jesus for breakfast!
yum!
the paquettes 