Merry Christmas!

Our family would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas!

 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 

Luke 2:13-20

Christmas Piano Recital

This past summer Gabe and Selah started piano lessons. I had been giving them lessons until that time, but it was time for someone else to take them under their wing. We started searching for piano teachers. One evening I had a coffee date with a friend of mine that had been directing the choir I now direct to pass on her knowledge to me, when piano lessons came up and she told me she had some spots open for homeschoolers! YAHOO!! So we go every Monday to her fabulous piano studio. 

On Saturday, we drove to a little one-room school house, now converted into a Community Center, for Gabe and Selah's first ever piano recital. 

Selah played Good King Wenceslas without missing a note - even though her second page was upside down! 

Gabe played Little Drummer Boy and really hammed it up!

Then he joined a buddy at the piano for a duet of The Holly and the Ivy.

Mrs. Amberson has been a blessing! She is a great piano teacher and loves her kids so much. This is just one-third of her students. 

We love Mrs. Amberson!

OK - now - don't take my word for the amazing job these kids did, watch the video below and let their music get you in the Christmas spirit, too! 

Kid's Praise Christmas Concert

The Kid's Praise 1st - 5th grade Choirs performed their Christmas Concert at out mall this year.

What a great outreach! They were able to take the gospel of Christmas out into a secular place. They did an amazing job and many, many people stopped to listen. 

Selah sang her first solo at the mall and did a beautiful job. Gabe had a part in the drama. You can see their performance below. It is only 5 and a half minutes long...so enjoy!! 

Mig's choir performed the next evening at our church. These littlest of the Kid's Praise voices did an amazing job, too!! This was my first time directing the Pre-K and Kindergarten's Christmas Concert and I loved planning, preparing and teaching these sweet kids! 

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

Last year we did not attempt seeing Santa Claus. Faith was afraid of so many things and so we did not even try. This year we went to see the lights at BLORA in Belton and stopped in to Santa's Workshop. Faith walked right up to "Ho Ho", as she calls him, without any hesitation!! So here are our first Santa pictures with all four children! 

This past weekend we walked into Walmart for groceries and sitting close to the entrance was Santa again. He was so sweet! He talked with each of my kids about what was going on up at the North Pole and won our Faith over so much that she gave him a HUGE hug and then waved good-bye until she could no longer see him. This is a beautiful example of how far this child has come in one short year!! 

As we were saying good-bye, Santa leaned over to me, looked me in the eye and said, "That really made my day." 

Mine, too, Santa. 

Merry Christmas!