melissajoel.com: December 2006

Christmas

Christmas Eve Joel and his dad picked Summer, Joel's older sister, up from the airport. She is studying in San Diego. This is the first Christmas in two years that she has been with us. She was in China and Korea the years earlier.

Annie and her "mantee" (blankie). Here's a picture from last Christmas. She got longer!

Christmas Eve I was finishing up sewing the clothes for the doll I made her for Christmas.

Annie also got a doll and doll car seat from her Nana. She plays with it all the time now.

We went to visit Oma. (Joel's mom's mom.)

Today Annie took my little Bible and fingering through it, asked me, "Where's the Jesus? Where's Jesus?" :)

Annie's Third Haircut

Drinking water with a spoon...

...much more pleasurable indeed!

Water! Yum!

Little Artist

This is one of the very few ways I can get Annie to hold still for a picture. Usually, as soon as she sees the camera she runs toward it to see "Annie" on the back. We try to sneak the camera to get candid shots but they turn out blurry because she runs toward us. Ah, but bring out the paint... When she's painting, I don't even exist anymore.

The other morning we watched out the window as the birds came to feed at the tree in the front yard. I pointed out the red-headed woodpeckers, and the blue jays. Annie pointed to the sky, "Moon!" she said. And I said, "You're right, Annie! That is the moon." So we drew this picture together of what we saw. Now it is on the fridge making me smile every time I go to get a drink.

I'll have to post some of Annie's original work sometime. Anyone want prints?

At the camp

Our friends
that lived on the strawberry farm down the road have since moved forty minutes away, to a church camp. The camp is only used once a year, so meanwhile, they live in their campers while they fix up the place. The sanctuary has become the living room.

Lately every time we've gone to visit them (three families, twenty-six members in all!) there has been a birthday party. This time it was the little boy in the middle, Nehemiah.

We have had lots of good times with them. Annie enjoys all the children too. Little Luke is only a month younger than her.

Christmas time

The pretty tree.

Annie watching Papa cut down the tree.

Trees were more expensive this year because of the lack of rain. We went for the short and fat one.

Joel and his mom looking at prospective new home photos.

Joel and I dressed up for his work Christmas party. Annie stayed with her Nana and Papaw.

Lindsey's Wedding

My roommate from college got married last week!!! It was crazy though, because we got lost from the mapquest directions, and then, since the church was downtown and the wedding was on a Friday night, we couldn't find any parking! So we were 20 minutes late...just in time to see them say their vows!