A Very Merry Christmas

Gerard van Honthorst Adoration of the Shepherds

     I really enjoyed listening to the Christmas story in Luke this year while studying this painting.  I was struck by the warmth and joy surrounding the birth of Jesus.  I was also thinking about how Mary was very likely away from her family, as she traveled with Joseph for the census.  I'm sure it was hard to be away from what was familiar and those she loved- in such a life-changing time as the birth of a baby. Her first baby!  But God provided.  He provided a quirkly group of shepherds who shared in the joy and amazement of Jesus.  I couldn't help but think of the parallels of being away from our family in America and missing them during the special season of Christmas.  But how God provides a special group of people for us to celebrate with- people from Romania, Switzerland, Canada, Germany, Russia, and the USA.  He's so faithful to meet our heart's needs.

     Each year we enjoy the tradition of a team Christmas party on the 24th.  We always act out the Christmas story.

I love watching everyone get into it!

Here were the actors in our little play.  There were 26 of us total.

 Bruce picked out special gifts for each of the kids to open from the team.

     Some of the kids played some Christmas carols that we sang along with.  Anneka played "Silent Night".

Ella played "Away in a Manger"

We also enjoyed an indoor snowball fight.  Guys against girls.

     The adults had a gift exchange.  Nettie made me homemade applesauce, which I LOVE!  Also, a group of us went ice skating (too cold for pictures!) and others stayed and played games.  When we returned we ate dinner together and then sang more Christmas carols by candlelight.  A very special time!

     Our family has the tradition of sleeping in the living room the night before Christmas.  We awoke and saw that Mary and Joseph had a baby in Bethlehem (our nativity set has a pregnant Mary until Christmas morning).  We opened stockings and had our traditional Swedish pancake breakfast.

     At church that morning, the kids put on a Christmas play.  Ella and Anneka were stars and did a great job!

Ike was a hedgehog and also did great!

Then we came home and opened gifts.  Ella got this life-sized doll.

     We were so blessed by friends who sent gifts.  Ike got a Lego set that he could construct easily by himself.  He was soooo happy.

Anneka got her very own camera.

     Our friend, Lena, came the next day and shared with us a song that she wrote for Christmas.  She said that for several years she's wanted to write a Christmas song, but she never had the words.  This year it just came to her- in like 10 minutes!- and it was beautiful and worshipful.

Thank you, God, for your many blessings!

Joy in the Advent Season

     How wonderful that the Chistmas Season comes during the darkest time of the year.  What a gift to focus on the Light of the World when all around is dreary!  We cherish taking extra time as a family the month leading up to Christmas to be amazed together at the God of the universe coming to earth as a baby.  We light candles each night, hang an ornament on our Jesse tree each with a symbol that points to the story of Jesus, and sing songs together in addition to our normal prayer and Bible time.   

     We also have an advent calendar with something special that we do each day.  We try to do things that reach out to or connect with others... and we have lots of fun!  On this day we made Christmas cookies and delivered them to several neighbors and local store workers.  This is not something people here do, so we were met with surprise (but it was a pleasant surprise).  ;)

     We picked out toys for orphans and prayed together for these kids by name.  

     We made beautiful Christmas artwork!

... and went tubing with friends.

     Of course, it's always cold here, but this year we've been blessed with weather that's not TOO cold to be outside.  This truly helps our family to be able to get out and exercise a bit.

We had Bogdan over for a couple of days to give his Mama time with their new baby.

Leif and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary!

     ...and while we did that, dear friends took our kids and played with them!  Nettie took Anneka cross country skiing for her first time, and Ike and Ella had a wonderful time with the Blakers.

Ice skating with Bruce

We made special bird food and waited while the pigeons flocked in to discover their treat!

We made costumes for the kids' Christmas play at church

... and made ornaments that we gave to others

     At the last minute my friend, Sveta, told me that the Nutcracker was playing at the ballet theatre downtown.  It was a busy time, but we squeezed it in, and we're so glad we did!  It's so beautiful to watch the beauty and talent that God has created in people!

  This year our kids all said it was the best Christmas season ever!  I'm enjoying our kids at these ages.  These are special memories we will always treasure!

     

School of Arts

    This school year Ella and Ike have been in a special program at the School of Arts.  We are always trying to find ways to help our kids continue on with their Russian and to connect with other local kids.  This program is 2 evenings a week, and gives them experience in dance, music, art, and drama.

I peeked into Ike's dance class one evening and snapped this photo.  

     The school held an Open House one evening for parents to come and watch what the kids do in a normal class.  Here, Ike and Ella are pressing modeling clay onto their pictures.

They also danced for us:

     We got flowers for both kids to congratulate them on a job well done!  The lady at the flower shop didn't want to sell me 2 bouquets, as it's very unlucky to get an even number of flowers.  She wanted me to get one or three.  I assured her that the flowers were for 2 different people, and she acquiesced.

     The kids' favorite part is playing on the way back from the School of Arts.  At the beginning of the season, the snow was warm enough for packing into a little snowman.


     There's a skateboard ramp that the kids love to run around and slide down.


     Once it got colder, we switched to sledding on our way there and back.  It's really hard to get pictures in the dark, but they start at the top of several flights of stairs and sled down the middle on little sleds.  


     Anneka and I get to have special mother-daughter time together while Ella and Ike are at the school.  Sometimes we'll get fruit and tea at a cafe not far from the school and wait there and play games.


     And sometimes we play games at home.  This night we played with a dreidel, to go along with what she's learning in history.  Sometimes Leif joins us, and sometimes he gets a special date with Anneka, too.

     Mother's Day is in November here.  Ella and Ike were in a performance for this special occasion.

Ella has such a beautiful smile and likes to perform.

     They invited some of us moms up front for a competition.  Ike and Ella had to dress me in a silly costume.  For another competition, Leif and I had to go up front and draw each other blindfolded.

    Right before New Years, all of the young kids from the school were invited for a special "Ёлка", which is a special peformance and party with Grandfather Frost, his grandaughter, a tree, and presents for all.  The kids were supposed to dress up.  Usually little girls wear poofy dresses and are princesses, but Ella wanted to be a cheetah.  Anneka made her this costume, and Ella was simply delighted.  Ike wore a costume his sisters gave him for Christmas.

     At the end of the performance, a big Rooster led the kids in games.  2017 is the Year of the Rooster.



    Aferwards, the kids played on and around the snow sculptures and ice slides.

On the big snow throne

so fun to slide!

and so fast!!