Twas the Night before Christmas

and all through Lolo and Lola's house were all their children and grandkids continuing the Christmas Eve tradition of a meal together. Lola and Lola were missed, and yet we know that they are blessed to spend Christmas with Lola's brothers and sisters for the first time in many many years.
almost all of us (Lolo & Lola in spirit):

Paul is wonderful at grilling: we savored grilled shrimp, asparagus & chicken
Marn is most like Mom as she enjoys cooking, and is a talented chef. We enjoyed the roast, garlic mashed potatoes, veggie casserole she created and the salad Steve made :)

cousins!

The Little Drummer Boys

have the pleasure of drumming on the REAL drum set.

Al is a jazz musician. He was generous and trusting to let the boys have a go at it!
What a blessing since they both enjoy drums, guitars, and music!

Ten On Tuesday: Christmas Week Edition

1. Our older son remembers decorating a Gingerbread house a few years ago with his godbrother, and has been asking to do it again. 2. We've been stretching dollars, so we could buy the kids a toy for a Christmas gift...so the gingerbread house has been on the "wish list". Our older son says "mom, i'm okay without a gingerbread house". 3. We were blessed with a gingerbread house as a gift this past weekend! Both boys loved decorating it...and even more, eating away at it...each day since! 4. We set aside a few dollars for each of our boys to "secretly choose" a gift for his brother. 5. It's been fun to see how excited they are to "secretly wrap" the gift while their brother is busy...and they look forward to seeing each other open up the gift.
6. I had last night and tonight to myself because all the boys of the house are visiting grandma and i had work today.
7. what did i do?
8. brave the shops to "return" stuff and get our spending money back into our bank accounts! it's so easy to overspend!
9. wrap gifts
10. start prepping for Christmas meals (making the list, checking it twice):
Christmas Morning Meal tradition
When my hubby went back to animal training 3 years ago, the interviewers informed him that he'd likely have to work every holiday because the Union structure honors vacation requests of the more senior employees. We've been blessed that he's had FOUR Christmas days off [including the 1st year, when he was only there 2 weeks! In 2005, the senior manager worked for him]. We are so appreciative of his co-workers that in '05 we started a tradition of delivering a Christmas meal to them each Christmas lunch. We know that one day Pete will work on Christmas and it's good that our tradition is to be at his work --- one year, we'll deliver the meal to Pete himself. In the meantime, a thankful heart is a happy heart!

Ten on Work-day Tues-day

Work-day Edition
1. Tuesday is work-day.
2. This is the first time i've worked during Christmas week and New Years week since the late 1990's. I just assumed I had it off this year, and found out we were open!
3. Must've been God's plan because there were so many unexpected expenses this month.
4. It'd be nice if it were for fun stuff like Christmas stuff...yet it is for...
5. 2 new tires.
6. 2 teeth extractions
7. an emergency room visit
8. proffesional dues
9. thank you God for providing the extra hours at work this month.
10. Since Rady blessed the hospital, each year the staff has recieved a warm jacket from Senior Management with the sentiment that we "warm the hearts" of the families we serve. I now have received three Rady jackets, a Rady briefcase, drink cup, mouse pad, and sticky pad holder. Go Rady!

Five on Friday - Fond of Traditions

Five on Friday: Christmas Tradition Edition
1. We started out on December 2nd by enjoying candy canes while driving through Christmas Card Lane, a neighborhood decked out with beautiful lights and "house-sized" Christmas greeting cards.
2. Christmas at Old Poway Park was festive with carolers, twinkling white lights, and a ride around the Midland Railroad station on a steam engine. choo choo!
3. A starry-night at our church was a wonderful way to remember the reason for the season: Jesus. That He came down from Heaven to be our sin sacrifice, and that He would overcome death, and make a way to Heaven for us.

4. We enjoyed Horizon Christian Fellowhip's Living Nativity for the first time, and it's likely the most memorable activity we've enjoyed this season and past seasons! Both boys loved it. Our older one's only complaint was that it was too short :) We just received gold coins from "Roman Soldiers" to pay taxes when we arrive at Bethlehem

Almost to the entrance to the Roman gates: passage to Bethlehem

All of us with our narrator and guide, an actor dressed as Jesus

After enjoying the walk-through theater, we enjoyed the activities in the Bethlehem market place. Here are the boys with the "Follow Jesus" bracelets they made.

5. Since 2005, we enjoy December Lights (Wild Animal Park). this year is it's 20th anniversary and final celebration.

see the snow falling?

enjoying falling "snow" at the main gate

p.s. also memorable was Seaport Village - live music and an ornament activity made from real sand dollars**

Merry Christmas!!!

Raising the Roof

With our visit to Uncle Mike's place,

a highlight for our older son was "looking down from the roof."

The place was built around the 1920s - check out this elevator. "I loved that we could take pictures there. It was verrrry rainy!" say the older one.

It was heartwarming to enjoy my kids, the two brothers, hang out with another two brothers: Pete & Mike.

We also watched Ratatouille for the first time!

Mmmm Mmmm good!

We enjoyed car trip up for an evening & sleepover visit with Aunt Sammie. Part of her special treats for us was making a dairy free Carmel Corn. Fun to make and Mmmm Mmmm good!

Countdown to Christmas

It's time prepare for Jesus' arrival!! I've been excited for this time of year since the summer :)

We enjoy Advent devotional time in the evenings.

The kids remember the Christmas stories and look forward to them year after year.

This years favorite story is "What God wants for Christmas"

We start our time by lighting candles, then we read a Christmas story & scripture (Jesse tree), pray, and end our time blowing candles out.

Here's our construction paper Jesse tree.

Each ornament reminds us of a Bible story

(from Creation in Genesis to Jesus Birth),

we read scripture ...

and we place one ornament each day til Christmas on our "tree".

We used to have a make-shift or homemade advent wreath. now we put the candles next to our nativity.

The kids especially enjoy blowing out the candles!

Christmas Stockings

Each Christmas we hang our stockings with care,

and fill them with small gifts for loved ones to share.

But do we remember that the first Christmas night

God gave us His Son who gave us His life?

A sacrifice so great- how can we repay?

We can say, "Thank you Jesus" on this His birthday.

Hang a stocking for Jesus and fill it with love.

Do good for others and thank God above.

-Author Unknown

Last year we found that Berean marks down merchandise 50-75% off before Christmas.
We found this great tradition & started a tradition of a Stocking for Jesus.The boys' piggy banks have 3 sections, one each for: God's work, savings, spending.
The kids and parents will pool our money set aside for "Church" to share with people less fortunate than we. The children look through the Samaritan's purse Christmas gift catalog and picked "Share the gospel with boys and girls" (bottom of the pictured page).
On construction paper hearts, we wrote our 'gifts' ---the things we've done or will do to reflect Jesus' love-- and put them in Jesus stocking

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;

as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 13: 34-35

On December 6, we remember Saint Nicholas' love for Jesus, by placing small trinkets (race cars that say "Go with Jesus", fruit (apple, orange), office supplies (paper pads, pencils say "God is my ruler"), and candy (candy canes, candy bracelets) in the children's stockings hung by their bed. We remember how the real Saint Nicholas, former Bishop of Myra (modern day Turkey), had thrown a bag of gold coins through the window of a poor family and the coins landed in the stocking of the daughter, and blessed the family as it was used for a wedding dowry. Saint Nicholas did this for the younger two daughters of this impoverished family also. Saint Nicholas' love for Jesus prompted his giving.

The Ants go marching 2 by 2, Hoorah! Hoorah!

Harvest Ants are our newest pets!

If you've been around our older son at a park, his affinity to ants may have stood out. We found an ant farm at 80% off at the end of summer ($2.99). For his birthday, his aunt's family populated the farm with Harvest Ants. They arrived before Thanksgiving.

We filled the ant farm with sand to prepare the ant colony's new home. just before placing the ants in, we start their first tunnel for them.

A bit of water is added in case they are thirsty after their long trip to our house.

Cheese!

Thanksgiving Artwork

Young kids and big "kids" alike helped to create artwork on thanksgiving evening.

Each of us contributed to the THANKFULNESS TREE - Let's see what was shared:

on each leaf is written something the person is thankful for.

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR:
- You.
- For friends and family, and a very productive and positive year. also thankful for turning 30 and not freaking out!
- For all the family being together in thoughts and love. For healing me from my heart condition. Bless Gina & her family for opening her house this Thanksgiving. Bless Rojielynn, Ron & Eric also. I love you God.
- For forgiveness. That Jesus was my sin sacrifice...that I get the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven with my brothers and sister in Christ, and tonight, with family and friends, I have a taste of heaven on earth.
- Family & Friend. Sharing Special times.
- For my family and friends. also, for Nico having a great year so far in 1st grade.
- A gracious God, a loving family, a supportive boyfriend, and the many blessings we have.
- My family and friends, my health, my job.
-That Lola Arcega is recovering from her recent illness
-GOD. FAMILY. FRIENDS.LIFE.
- THE 3 'F's: FAMILY. FRIENDS. FAITH.
-Husband. Son. my puppy. Family, Friends & Community.
- I am very thankful for GOD who is the Head of my life, I am thankful for Eternal Life, I thank God for hearing and answering my prayer. I thank GOD for a place of worship service, I thank God for salvation. I thank God for my life, health, and strength. I thank God for the rain. I thank God for fellowship with new people. I thank GOD for all his blessing. I thank GOD for seeing my 53rd birthday. I thank GOD for waht HE has done in the past, present, and future.
-That all my children and grandchildren live in California.
-I am thankful for my entire life.
- Family. Friends. Food. Sleep!
- We are really thankful for family and really good friends. We are thankful for our freedom to worship how we choose and mostly for the sacrifice Jesus made for us.
-I'm thankful I don't have to get my house dirty. instead we can get mess up Pete's. I'm thankful that FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE JOHN 3:16.

And what the children wrote on their thankfulness leaves

-that God sent Jesus as our savior

- my pteradactyl

- for the gifts I got on Christmas

- for drumming sticks

- for Christmas lights

- that I like God

Here's the crayon art:

Mousecapade

Watch this video AFTER you've reached the bottom of this page.
Grand Finale Video of Mouse-capade SOLVED?!
This is how the story ENDS =>
this mouse has been affectionately been named DaViD (minus the vowels). Well, DaViD is M.I.A....we think he's lingering back there and possibly activated the open/close button? we'll see.

=================================================================

HERE'S HOW THE STORY BEGINS:

Strolling through the Wild animal park with sis, nephew, & kids....phone rings...

Me: "hi"

Marnster: "it's a random call. Well...susan picked me up and came in through the front door, we left through the garage. when we got back a few hours later, the front door was locked but wide open. i know we shut it, but it didn't latch shut. we went through the entire house with a bat. then we kept hearing a sound in the family room...over and over...it was coming from the TV stand! i pushed the coffee table up to keep the tv stand door from opening and keep the mouse inside"

Me: "oh NO!!!"

Marnster: "we stared at it pushing against the tv stand door for half an hour. it really wants to get out! what should we do?"

Me: "pete is used to handling mice at work. i'll call him"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later...................

dear husband arrives at the empty place, and we can hear the rhythmic thuds of something pushing against the door of the TV stand! it's pushing hard too, it keeps moving the door forward a quarter inch.

The excitement is building!

We keep the kids up on the stairs to watch.

My parents advised trying to catch it with the trusty vacuum extension, so that's ready to go.

We've all got gloves on!!!!!

Big sis and I are VERY jumpy, and squealing LOUDLY, as we have to hold open the TV stand door..that magnetic door keeps shutting, we have to hold it open....

for pete to catch it!!! well that mouse wouldn't come out of the half open door...so look at what we see here............

Five on Friday

1. What a fun filled week!
2. No shopping for me today. too bad payday isn't til NEXT friday
3. We started with an almost empty fridge on Wednesday morning, and now it's packed full of all those wonderful leftovers.
4. Maybe i'll make turkey soup out of the turkey bones that were left.
5. I'm thankful for friends, new and old, and family -- especially those who blessed us with their company yesterday :)

Thanksgiving Time

It was an honor to host the annual Thanksgiving potluck for the first time.

This tradition of five families joining together for dinner has been celebrated for at least 25 years...plus, friends, friends of friends, extended family, and on and on.

The history starts with the 'guys' who met in the US Navy in the early 1960's, friendships continued to blossom and grow,

as their families grew (thru marriage & children),

and circles of friendships grew.

The special thing is that each of us know that each year we can count on this gathering happening at someone's home. This year, it was especially true, as husbands and wives, parents and children, siblings, grandparents & grandchildren, were separated by many many miles.

At this moment, many of the "guys" were hanging out in the family room.

Everyone is facing toward the camera in this wonderful family of six!
"Turkey!"
Kitchen talk
Cheese!
Laughing out loud!

Cheek-to-Cheek is my favorite way to take pictures Buzz & Bizz are so thoughtful to include Lolo & Lola in the picture :)

All arms wrapped around and smiles