Going Home

Truth be told, the countdown has been going on for quite a while now. But the time is finally *almost* here and we are very anxious! We will be leaving on December 20th to go back to Oregon for Christmas…and the best part is that we get to stay until January 5th! I think it’s hard to explain to someone who has never been away from family for a long period of time, but we are so excited!! I know this Christmas will be more special than years past because we will be making sure we cherish every moment, knowing it has to last us for a while until we can see everyone again.

That being said, I may not be posting another blog until we return to North Carolina. So, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! Thank you to everyone who has encouraged us and lifted us up in prayer over the last year. And thank you for staying in touch with us, even though we are thousands of miles away. Your support has meant so much!! I’m sure we’ll have lots of pictures and stories to share when we get back, so stay tuned… :)

The Week of Birthdays

This week we celebrated both Ryan’s 32nd (December 12th) and Lauren’s 4th (December 13th) birthdays. We took Ryan out to a nice dinner, just the 3 of us, and gave him his presents. Lauren’s day was spent doing her favorite things – going to the library to get new books, having lunch with Mommy and Daddy at McDonald’s (including an ice cream sundae) and getting to have popcorn, cheese and apples for dinner while we watched a movie. Then on Friday, Ryan and I took some cupcakes into her class at school and had a little celebration for her with her teachers and friends.

Saturday was the BIG party at our house…we invited over 3 families from church, along with their accumulative 8 kids (ages ranging from 18 months to 10 years old). And it was loud and chaotic! But, the kids all had so much fun playing and tormenting our cat…and the adults were able to visit a little while playing referee. We wanted to do a smaller party and try to keep it low-key and I’m so glad we didn’t invite any more people because it was a full house! We ordered pizzas for lunch and I made cupcakes for dessert. Ryan and I were both exhausted when it was over, but it made it all worth it when Lauren came up to us and said, “Mommy and Daddy, thank you for my party – I had so much fun.”

A Family Christmas

This was yet another busy week for us as we prepared for the big production of “A Family Christmas” at our church. It is an event they have held for the last few years that is done as an outreach to the community. Last year they had over 3,000+ attendees. They have an outdoor living nativity with a re-creation of the streets of Bethlehem (including the manger scene above with a real baby), a “Toyland” children’s choir and hand bell ensemble, horse-drawn carriage rides, train rides, a petting zoo, a marshmallow roast and Victorian carolers.

I have been practicing with the carolers since July and was blessed to be a part of the music ensemble. We did three performances each night – Friday, Saturday and Sunday – which included traditional Christmas carols and several other arranged pieces like "All is Well" and "Dona Nobis Pacem". Some of the vocals were acapella and for some, we were accompanied by the hand bell choir. The best part was getting to wear the Victorian costume (see picture below), which thankfully kept us warm in the 40 degree weather!

Ryan was also involved in the construction of the Bethlehem set, which began in early November, and he signed up to help direct traffic two of the nights, as well. The first night, however, he and Lauren got dressed up in their Christmas attire and he took her out on their first “date”. The father-daughter date was a tradition that my dad began with me when I was little and is one of the best memories from my childhood. So, it is really special to see Ryan do the same thing now with Lauren and to have him show her how a gentleman should treat her on a date.

He took her out to a nice restaurant for dinner and then brought her over to the church to enjoy the activities and hear me sing. When they came to the church, they were able to take a train ride, roast marshmallows and walk through the living nativity, which was amazing! (The pictures really don’t do it justice.) Since we had to be there for all three nights, we were able to break up the activities so we had a chance to experience everything. Overall, it was a fun and festive weekend. And, although it was exhausting, it was wonderful to get to share the Christmas story with people who wouldn’t otherwise come to church.

Our Little Evangelist

Last weekend Lauren and I (Ryan) walked up and down our street distributing invitations to the "Family Christmas" outreach event being hosted by our church. We wanted our neighbors to feel invited, and Kimberly thought this would be a great way for Lauren to learn about sharing our faith with others. As we walked along, I talked with her about what we were doing. For 19 houses we were only able to put the invitations in the newspaper slots beneath the mailboxes. But, at one of the houses, the owner was outside and Lauren had this exchange:

Lauren: "Hi. Here is an invitation for 'ya to come to our church."

Lady: "Oh, thank you."

Lauren: "You can come and meet Jesus. And hear about how he was born in Bethlehem."

Lady: "Really? I just showed my kids the movie 'The Navity Story'. Maybe that would be a good thing to bring them to."

Lauren: "Yeah, so we'll see you at our church. Goodbye!"

Now if I could just learn to be so bold. I couldn't have been prouder!