Justin, Samuel and Caylie all got new sleds for Christmas. So when the snow started on Christmas afternoon, we were all very excited! They went sledding every day for the next six days and lots of fun was had. (And energy used up!)
Taylor got germophobe Justin that mask he's wearing as a joke. But Justin decided it was good for a face warmer, haha.
There is a great sledding hill just around the corner and down the street, at the neighborhood elementary school.
Caylie was a little tentative her first time out this year, but soon got over that. Now she goes zooming down the hill, often being thrown off at the bottom, but she always gets right up and goes again!
Somebody else had made this hill, but we got lots of use out of it.
Justin trying the tummy approach.
There they go.
Keelan showing Samuel some sled tricks.
Justin pulled Caylie back up the first couple of times, but now she does it herself.
Jack loves the snow. When there's a fresh snow, he'll run and run circles around the yard. And roll in it. And lay in it. And eat it. He must be part Husky.
He also likes playing tetherball with Sam and Keelan.
On Christmas Eve, Brittany and I spent the day making cookies. We went for our usual Christmas Eve dinner at IHOP and then to our church's Christmas Eve service. There are several other churches that use our building during the week, so we get together with all of them and have a multi-cultural service, with English, Spanish, and Korean. (I really wish one of the groups was Chinese!) It is always an awesome experience.
Christmas Day! I had talked to Samuel a lot about what would happen on this day, so that he would be prepared. He is often upset about perceived injustices and unfairness, so I tried to make it clear that everyone would get different presents, and that his would not be the same as anyone else's. He ended up having a good day, so it seems he was sufficiently prepared. :)
The first gift went to Jack. :D
I got pictures of everyone opening presents. What they are holding was just what they were opening at the time, not necessarily their favorite thing!
Brittany, Brad and Tessa came a couple of hours later.
Tessa got a new car from Nana and Papa.
Justin is learning to play chess.
Fun was had in this big box until I came along with the camera!
Jack is worn out from all the excitement.
Christmas was a great day. We had a fun time with out family, a yummy dinner, and it snowed! I was glad about that, since the three youngest kids got new sleds. Pictures of snow fun coming in the next post!
(My children are on Day 12 of Christmas vacation. 'Nuff said.)
I'm going to have to do Christmas in three installments, otherwise there would be a r-e-a-l-l-y long post!
These first pictures are things that happened a week or two before Christmas. Keelan had his band concert just before break. They have concerts through the year, but the Christmas one is always the most fun. Here is the Gateway High School symphonic band.
This is Keelan's third year playing the trumpet, and he's getting really good! He spent part of first semester helping the beginning trumpet players in Justin's school band.
For part of the concert they marched in from the back and stood in front of the audience.
The trumpet section and drumline. The drummer on the far left is Keelan's good friend Ian, who - for some reason - likes to spend time at our crazy house. :)
Keelan was asked to help the freshman band with their music, as well. He's on the end and the rest of them look so small, haha.
Here is a video of the symphonic band playing "Sleigh Ride", complete with falling snow!
Samuel and Caylie sang some Christmas songs at church with the children's class. Caylie loves to perform and sings her little heart out, but it was all new for Samuel. We were very proud of him for getting up there and singing and doing the motions (which he did not want to do!) We are also so grateful for our little church family for loving our boy and helping him along on this journey. Last year he was a parent-less kid in a group foster home in China. And now he's singing with his friends at Meadowood Church in Colorado. These are his people now. I'm so glad for that.
And here is a video of them singing "For Unto Us a Child Is Born / Open the Eyes of My Heart".
A more formal shot at church that day, in which neither are smiling. Oh well, I tried.
We had fun at our friends, the Petersons', house one night. Their Sarah was adopted from China last year, and is a year younger than Samuel.
Sam learned to play Monopoly. We learned that Justin is as treacherous as his father.
Lots of houses in our neighborhood are decorated in many lights, Santas, reindeer, snowmen, and even a big green dinosaur in a Santa hat. But in front of our house is this simple nativity scene. Despite all the busy-ness of the season, and the stress of jobs and four childrens' schooling, and the difficulties in parenting a newly-adopted 12-year-old, THIS is what is important. This covers it all. The Christ child in a manger. Emmanuel - God with us.
On Saturday I took Justin, Samuel and Caylie up to Berthoud for the annual AAC Adoption Christmas party. Well, they call it a "holiday" party, but I don't. I mean, Santa was there, and all, ha!
When I saw that they were taking pictures, I thought it would be nice to have a "nice" one. I told the kids to not get their faces painted until after the picture. So they didn't. But that didn't stop them from wearing hats and masks. And Sam wanted to hold that big hammer. Oh well . . .
We don't "do Santa" at our house. We talk about how he's fun to pretend and that he's in movies and books sometimes, but that Jesus being born is the real meaning of Christmas. I think I mentioned before that I finally have Samuel convinced that his mom and dad will give him presents and not Santa, but that he was still sure that Santa brought his presents to him in China. (As far as I know, he only had presents last year at House of Grace, so I'm not sure what he thinks was going on with Santa his first ten years.) But we are still talking about "Santas" just being guys wearing costumes. It's a work in progress, ha. Anyway, even though Caylie knows that Santa is pretend, she still likes to sit on his lap and let mama take her picture!
And Samuel thought he'd give it a try, too.
He knows mom likes a good photo op. ;)
And then it was time for face painting.
This is our awesome social worker Jane, who has seen us through two home studies and numerous post-placement visits, and the beautiful Nicole, AAC Adoption China coordinator, who puts up with me on a regular basis.
And Caylie with the rest of the AAC staff: Christie, Alexa, Regina and Karen.
Caylie and me with our friends Gloria and Emily.
Sweet little Kai-Liang and his mama Heather.
My China kids playing outside with my friend Dawn's China kids. So fun!
