New Year's Eve

Click picture for better view!

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This is how we would look if we attempted to stay up to usher in the new year!

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If there is something that only happens "once in a blue moon", tonight is the night for it! (following the "Calendar" timing, not the actual correct "Seasonal" timing, but Calendar is easier to compute!)

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The following blue moons will occur between 2009 and 2015. (These dates use UTC {Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is a time standard based on International Atomic Time (TAI) with leap seconds added at irregular intervals to compensate for the Earth's slowing rotation}

Seasonal -- Using the Farmers' Almanac definition of blue moon (meaning the third full moon in a season of four full moons), blue moons occur:
November 21, 2010
August 21, 2013

Calendar -- Two full moons in one month:

2009: December 2, December 31 (combined with a partial lunar eclipse in some parts of the world)
2012: August 2, August 31
2015: July 2, July 31
2028: December 31

Stuffed Nativity

I have been working on my sewn hands-on nativity that I started last year.

Here are the kids with the nativity

This is what the original looked like in the Nov/Dec 1984 issue of Crafts n' Things.

I didn't like the stable, and that's what bogged me down last year.

Here is how mine looks so far

Close up of my stable. I added a manger, too.

So Jesus can be in the manger, or in any one of the people's arms.

This is what I still have to work on....

camel, cow, donkey--need embroidery and stuffing

sheep--not even sewn yet!

gifts--not even cut out yet (that's what the gold bow is for)

Some Pictures of Andrew

I wanted to share these pictures of Andrew that I took throughout the Christmas season.




You can't really see in the little picture but his shirt says, "All Mommy wants for Christmas is a Silent Night" (click on picture for a bigger view)





















































One day when we were out, we saw this Smart car and I had to take Dan & Andrew's picture with it.

It takes up only half a parking space!

Church Christmas Activities

We didn't have an actual Christmas program for the kids this year, but they did sing "Away in a Manger"





William did NOT want to be up front with everyone else!





























We went caroling at the hospital's extended care:

cookies and hot chocolate afterwards!

Merry Christmas 2009

I wanted to share some pictures of out Christmas celebrations:

The yearly shot of the kids in front of the tree.

This is the first picture I took...

it went downhill from there....

This is the last picture I took and finally gave up on getting any better pictures!

Stockings

Present time

Now that Sarah is in school, we got her a full sized Bible.

Dan opening his present

Opening the gift from Sarah....

a homemade calendar.

Playing with their presents

This is Andrew with one of his favorite toys.

I thought it was cute how it matched his blanket sleeper.

Extended Family Gathering:

Grandpa reading the Christmas story. The REAL one, from Luke 2.


















Everyone listening to Grandpa

presents!

West Michigan Lace Group Christmas

Monday was the West Michigan Lace Group's Christmas party with ornament exchange.

I didn't get a picture of all the ornaments, but here are most of them. I received the crocheted bell in the top left corner and made the tatted wreath (that I brought to the fair) laying on the white paper in the middle. Next to it is Tatt3r's needle lace tree. It is beautiful in person!

Here are the members that were there

Lovely Christmas carols

My family listening to the flutes