Merry Christmas...We're Still Here!!!!

Guess what? We're still here!!! I have been bad about updating the blog, I admit. We've been busy, and I've been trying to spend less time online. I've been enjoying this holiday season with my girls SO much! Both Abigail and Bethlehem are growing and learning and changing so much. They are so precious! They are also waiting for me to finish this blog post and read them a book, so I'll try to be quick....

Recently I have noticed a look very frequently on my girls' faces - it is called JOY. I happen to love that look.....they take joy in the simplest things.

Enjoying books and snuggles with daddy!

Doing the pajama Dance!

And decorating the Christmas tree.....

This year, we had the most beautiful tree ever to grace our home. And it is special. Not just because it is beautiful, but because of the love and friendship that brought it to our house. Last year, Christmas was wonderful and hard all at the same time. We had hoped to be in Ethiopia, meeting our sweet Bete, but found out that we would have to wait another couple weeks for an embassy date. Don was laid off from his job in Feb '09, and still had not found full-time work, so with adoption expenses, plus normal bills, money was extremely tight. We decided on a $3 budget for Christmas. Yep, $3 - one dollar per family member except Bete since she was in Ethiopia and wouldn't realize she didn't get a present. Needless to say, we didn't have a tree that year.....but we reveled in the joy of the Christmas Child, the precious gift of Jesus - and Christmas had never been better.

This Christmas was even better. With Don still not working full time, we decided to get a tree, but to wait until a few days before Christmas to get one....when they went on sale for $5 at local Christmas tree lots - either that or watch for a 'runt' tree - or as I jokingly called it a 'scratch and dent' tree - one of those lopsided ones that that made it to the lot somehow, but shouldn't have. One day in early Dec, we were volunteering at NCO and the subject of Christmas trees came up - the next thing we knew, the most GORGEOUS noble fir was hand delivered to our house by one of our sweet co-volunteers and her husband - fresh cut from, I think they said, a relatives Christmas tree lot. They also brought cute snowmen and santa hats for the girls and some christmas ornaments. You have never seen two girls happier!

Decorating the tree!

Looking cute and having fun!

See that little ornament on the right??? A special gift from our friend Amy over at Filled With Praise. It is in the shape of Africa and says "Bethlehem, Home Jan 2010" on it. Amy's son is from the same orphanage that Bethlehem was in in Ethiopia, adopted through the same agency! One of the huge blessings this Christmas was getting to celebrate our first Christmas with Bethlehem home! She was so cute - thought all the songs with the word 'Bethlehem' in them were about her! "A song about Bete!" she would say excitedly....and then as another came on "look, mama, 'ook! Another song about Bete!"


Christmas tree decorating crew.....how I love those three!

All done and ready for snacks!

Abigail's FIRST Christmas tree!

And Bete's FIRST American Christmas!

Have I mentioned I'm pretty crazy about my girls??? This pic was taken mid-Dec and I just threw it in because I thought it was cute. :)

Christmas morning, and Aba was up and ready for church......

So was Bete......

Why is it so hard to get a good pic of them both together???

To start the day, we read The Nativity together.

Sister tickle!

Then it was time to open stockings. This year, for the girls, we did 'old-fashioned' stocking gifts. We filled them each a stocking - in the toe of each, an orange (they LOVE oranges), a few chocolate coins, some fruit leather, a couple small trinkets from Swapnplay, then some stuff that they needed that we would have bought anyway, had it not been Christmas - conditioner for Bete, panties for Aba, toothpaste, etc. You would never have seen two girls happier with their gifts. They stopped to inspect and play with each item before moving onto the next. Bethlehem excitedly put her new conditioner in her hair basket, and Abigail wanted to try on her new panties.

Bete and her first Christmas stocking!

After breakfast, we headed out to church to celebrate Jesus birth praising and worshiping Him! The girls joined their grandma singing "Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus!" and playing the Glockenspeils.

Then it was home for a nap for Bete, building a puzzle for Aba, and soon, time to head to my parents for dinner. It was a wonderful day - with fun, family and friends - but most of all, with Jesus, the ONE we were celebrating. Toward the end of the day, Abigail said "I'm glad Jesus was born". Me too, Baby, so, very, very glad.

We hope you also had a wonderful Christmas, reveling in the joy of our Saviour's birth!

Merry Christmas!!! :)