December

Back to 2009 Pictures

In the beginning of December Eli and I donned hats and scarves, left the kids with Grandma and went on a date: Christmas shopping! We went to Finnegan's Toy Shop downtown. We also stopped for coffee and gazed for a few minutes at the huge tree in Pioneer Courthouse Square.

I managed to convince Eli to take us out to a tree farm and hunt for The Perfect Tree. I have yet to convince him that this ritual is fun. But he enjoyed this trip more since the farm we went to provided power saws.

For St. Nicholas Day we filled to the brim with candy the little wooden shoes that Eli's grandma wore when she came to America from Holland as a little girl. It's astonishing how quickly that candy disappeared that Sunday morning!

Merry Christmas at Exodus!

All the lights, ribbons, giving, and glorifying God for sending us His Son make for a joyous time of year!

Not to mention all the good food!

...and the pretty clothes!

Smiles for Uncle David.

Thanks for the books, Aunt Carrie!

A Tonka truck from Aunt Leah!

Now she can keep her dollies healthy.

Esther loves to give snuggles.

Nephew Patrick's first Christmas.

The messier...the yummier!

Christmas afternoon with the Lyons.

Look at that—I exist! A rare shot of me in front of the camera instead of behind it.

Now Lindsey can cook like a Pioneer Woman!

My brother, Nathaniel, is a bit less than thrilled over the books about bugs...

The happy bug doesn't mind being chewed.

Chocolate for Dan Drinkwater from Joshua and Lucy.

Engaged!

"Bless the hands that prepared this food..."

Preparing wedding invitations. Meanwhile...

The other table is surrounded by much less civilized players of the classic (if boisterous) game "Pit."

My favorite gift of the year was our baby.

After all, a baby was what God gave us all those years ago...