The Children's Museum

Yesterday evening we all went to the Children's Museum! This was my first time (in many, many years), as well as David's. The kids had a blast, and Michael and I had a blast watching them! Okay, so I went in a wheelchair, but I made it, and it was great to do something together as a family without me staying home.

David just LOVED the water play area. Actually, he loved everything, and cried when we had to leave each room.

Many thanks to Michael for herding us all around the museum! We'll have to do it again, sometime.

Advent Calendar

The advent calendar is probably the longest tradition in my family that I can remember. My mom had them when she was little, and she had them for us. We even made our own -- Mom's were beautiful watercolors and ours were painted as best we could. Now my children open the advent calendars.

This calendar is an exact copy of the one my mom had as a child and that I "claimed" as my own growing up. I not only loved the scene itself, but on the 7th I always thought the picture was of a cake with a candle. It wasn't until I was older I realized it was just a table!

One year I painted an exact copy of this entire calendar for a friend. Fortunately, once I was married we found a shop that carried the same calendar so I could have my own!

This calendar definately says "Christmas time" to me.

Snow Has Arrived

The children woke up to discover lots of snow! They were ecstatic, and couldn't wait to go out and help Daddy shovel the driveway. Baby Cakes and I stayed indoors and watched from the window.

Rachel and Daddy

Rachel went on her outing after dinner so she and Daddy could see the lights.

A stop for something hot to drink was certainly a must:
The lights were very beautiful and Rachel took a number of pictures as well:
It looks like they must have walked through the mall from the parking lot:
Both had a very enjoyable evening.
In the mean time, the boys and I were playing Christmas. Andrew was wrapping up blocks in Christmas paper and James was building a Christmas tree out of pillows. After opening our presents, we read a few books and headed for bed.

Andrew and Daddy

Andrew went next. He got to go to three places -- the library, the creamery and Starbucks. Andrew took the pictures in this post himself!!! (Except for the last one) I was very impressed. Farms have a special place in my heart, and for some reason, cows do too. Therefore, I LOVED this picture of the cow!

Ah, lovely barns!

And these chickens are adorable too
This is definately a great Christmas picture -- the colors are perfect! Even the back end of the van looks as if it could actually be part of the artistic arrangment

My happy boys

Holiday with Dad

Michael is using up his extra vacation time and so we have two weeks with Daddy off of work! The kids love Daddy's holidays because it means they get to do even more with him. Yesterday, Michael took each of the big kids on their own outing. James went to the racecar museum.

James decided this was a big, gold teacup!

Happy Boy!

Happy Daddy and Boy

Comfort Ye My People

Last night Michael and I enjoyed a beautiful performance of Handel's oratorio, the Messiah. This was an early Christmas gift from my sister to Michael, and it was a well-chosen one!

The location for this performance was a church downtown, built in the style of so many of the churches in Europe. The aisles were lined with candles, and votives flickered on windows and pillars, adding ambience to the setting. A Baroque orchestra added to the whole historic feel.

This oratorio is made up of 54 sections of Scripture. In all the years of listening to this on CD, I never realized it was pure Scripture until I heard it live for the first time a few years ago.

It is a very uplifting and emotionally rejuventing thing to sit back and hear the whole story of salvation sung. A few excerpts:

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,

Come unto Him, all ye that labour...and He will give you rest.

He was despised and rejected of men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows!

Hallelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord,

and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

I know that my Redeemer liveth,

But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain...to receive power,

and riches, and wisdome, and strength, and honour, and glory and blessing.

Those of you familiar with this work will no doubt hear the music of these words in your head as you read them.

This was a fitting way to put some things in perspective and begin the holiday season, which for me begins today -- December 1st! I've got to go get the kids to open their advent calendars now.