Gingerbread Christmas Tree

More Christmas Pictures

Emily eating cake at the very pink, Madonna Inn

My mom also has a "near" Christmas birthday, so we took her out to Madonna Inn where they serve mile high cakes in a restaurant that is decadently decorated.

Amy received a new doll, lots of doll accessories and a matching coat. Sean and Evan and I had fun making pretend fruits, veggies, cookies and candy out of sculpy clay for her and her dolls.

Emily enjoying her new ball, jewelry, and doll bed.

Christmas Pictures

Sean actually had to work Christmas day so we celebrated on the 24th. Here's the family with matching hats knitted by Sean's sister Molly.

Emily Cleaning

Emily is at the age where she loves to "pretend" all things. She is loving her new cleaning supplies, her cooking and tea set and her baby accessories. She still thinks her new baby high chair is for her though!

Evan's Birthday

Evan has a birthday very close to Christmas so we always celebrate it with family when they are here for the holidays. He's turning 1o this year, so hard to believe! I can't find the picture of him with his new Lego set, but he had a great time shooting his BB gun. And if you've never tried the game Blokus, it's tons of fun!

My Christmas Gift to You

I'm so thankful for you, my family and friends (some new and some old). This past year has been a difficult one for me, but softened through the friendships I've made and kept up with through blogging. If you happen to read this blog, (and I know you!) but have not commented or told me you read it, drop me a comment below and I'll add your name too!

Sean- Thank you for being my best friend, and my hearts desire. God has blessed me immeasurably by giving me you for a husband. I love you!!! And thanks for starting this blog for me and guest blogging during the times I get busy. You're the greatest!

Mom- Thank you for raising me in a Christian home where you and dad taught me to love Jesus. Thanks for all the late night talks and good advice. You have been one of my closest friends since high school, and I want you to know that I appreciate all you have done for me. You are a terrific mom!

Jessica- Thanks for introducing me to the world of blogging, Sovereign Grace, John Piper, and the perfect apple pie recipe. I miss you!!! Thanks for hanging in with me through many a hard time and not always giving me the answer I wanted to hear, but needed to hear. I love keeping up on your sweet family.

Jenn- You were my first blogging friend. When I met you I was skeptical of this whole blogging thing. I wasn't sure I'd like it or have time for it, let alone meet new friends. What a surprise for me when you commented back! Even though we've never met, I love hearing what God is doing in your life and seeing all the cute pictures of your kids! I hope I can get to meet you in person some day. Look me up if you ever come to California!

Leslie- You are such an inspiration to me! Thank you for your thoughtful words about Classical Homeschooling, good books, kids with heath problems, and most importantly keeping our eyes fixed on the cross and the good news of Jesus Christ. One particular post I'll probably remember the rest of my life. We're on verse 17 of the first chapter of Colossians. Much slower than I had hoped, but we're still plugging away at it and really enjoying memorizing a big passage of scripture.

Bethany- I have enjoyed reading about your family, your faith, and your favorite things! I was so blessed by your offer to help me out when I come down to L. A. I'm not sure I can even express through a blog how thankful I was (and am) for your offer of hospitality. It came unexpected at a time I was feeling particularly low and was a reminder to me of God's care and goodness. I can't wait to meet you and your boys!

To all the ladies at Chesapeake Community Church- The witness of your love for the Lord, and for each other, has reached out over thousands of miles! Thank you for your testimonies of what God is teaching you about loving your husbands, teaching your kids, making your house a home, enjoying what God has given you, and remaining faithful through trial and loss. When I read your blogs, I am encouraged by your grace filled examples.

Cara and Cat- You are both like family to me. Thank you for your friendship for all these years! Camping again next summer?! I'd love to revive that tradition again.


Thank you all for the blessing of your friendship! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Newsletter

We thought you might like to see excerpts from our annual Christmas Newsletter. We had just come back from a snow trip to Sequoia National Park which provided a nice winter theme for the photos.




Emily continues to be a source of entertainment for the entire family! It’s been a joy to watch Evan and Amy play a part in her development. The older kids excitedly screamed “she’s walking!” when Emily took her first steps this year. These shouts were quickly followed by cries of “she’s walking!” as Christina and Sean raced to move everything fragile out of her reach!






Amy is participating in the Central Coast Children’s “Debut Choir.” She remains involved in AWANAS and continues to memorize Bible versus at a rate that makes her Dad dizzy! As always, we are thrilled when our kids learn to read. Amy is gobbling up reading time and enjoys the “American Girl” series of books.








This year Evan earned his yellow belt in Karate and advanced to the rank of Webelos in Cub Scouts. In his spare time he can be found hunting tin cans and plastic bottles in the back yard with his trusty BB gun. For ten weeks this summer Evan participated in a clinical study at UCLA for kids with Tourette’s Syndrome. The study has helped us all understand a little more about TS and let Evan know just
how normal he actually is!

Christmas Stockings

Continued guest blogging by Sean for Christina ........




You can imagine our surprise many years ago when Sean and I discovered we had grown up with similar Christmas stockings. My stocking was made by my Aunt Karen. Sean's was made by his Aunt Mary. Both had our names knitted in to them and both sport images of Saint Nicholas!














When our children were born, their Aunts weren't quite yet knitters (things have changed now and we've got the beanies to prove it). So back then we turned to my friend Jessica's Mom to craft the kids stockings. As you can see, we kept the "St. Nick" theme. While Sean's stocking is the smallest, he does his best to STRETCH it out each year to accomodate more booty!

Our Christmas Tree

After being tagged by my goood friend Jessica (in response to Laurie's Tour O' Trees), it was my husband who made sure to get our tree on the list (and type this blog!)

Each year we go as a family to find our Christmas tree. We used to find them at "cut your own" tree farms. The kids would pick the tallest tree and Sean would spend the next 20 minutes sawing away with the dullest of saws borrowed from the tree farm.

Unfortunately, our very dry California climate (sorry to my water-logged and snow-bound friends) makes for VERY dry trees. They never lasted long. Sean hesitated to turn on the lights, describing the dry shrub holding them as a "tinderbox."

The big box stores, however, sell trees grown in Oregon. These trees are dripping with moisture and fragrance. This year we selected a beautiful Noble Fir. The acquisition went amazingly fast. The only "hic-up" in the process was when the cashier told Sean what the total price was. But as Sean later explained, there was no turning back.....The tree had already become part of our family.

The Ornaments on Our Tree

Continued blogging by Christina's alter ego, Sean.....

As you can see, our Christmas tree is covered with ornaments. Most have special meaning to our family. Each year we buy the children an ornament and place it in their stockings. The ornaments often represent something that the children did during the year. Amy received a Ballerina ornament when she was in ballet and Evan received a little red wagon ornament the year we gave him the life-sized version.

Sean's two sisters also send ornaments every year. His sister, Molly, often sends several for the kids. And Sean's sister, Katie, has an amazing ability to find cute little appropriately-themed police ornaments. Needless to say, our tree has filled up.




This ornament was hand-crafted by my creative and extremely talented friend, Cara. It was from a time when we were a family of four. Cara made Evan in a soccer uniform and Amy as a ballerina. And of course, Sean was wearing what used to be his trademark "off duty" fanny pack. Too funny!






The year we did the candy cane ornaments the children handed them out as gifts to their aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Sean always feared the ornaments would be carried off by armies of aunts. But they remain today. And as Sean pointed out, "still tasty after all these years!"






Madeline joined our tree the year Amy was enjoying her Madeline doll house. The teacup ornament was a gift from Molly, knowing that I love collecting the bigger version.






And we gave Evan the Star Wars ornament simply because this was the year (and every year since) that he has been consumed by anything STAR WARS.

Another Reader in the Family

Last week, Amy reached a milestone in her homeschool education. She finished her phonics book and is now reading chapter books independently. When Evan reached this goal we finished off his Hardy Boys collection that Uncle Aaron had started for him. Fortunately, CostCo had them at the time, cheap.

Amy especially enjoys the American Girl collection of stories. So she is now the proud owner of the Molly set. Again, CostCo has them right now complete with a mini doll! What a joy it is to watch her enjoying reading. And what a delight to see her able to read the Scriptures for herself.

In Memory of a Fallen Hero

This past week a beloved friend, of my dear friend Cara was killed in Iraq. She wrote a beautiful and moving tribute to him. Yesterday, I read Psalm 144 to my kids explaining that Troy prayed this Psalm before he flew. They had many questions. Amy was actually confused and thought that our friend's husband was the one who had died. I was glad to have the chance to clear that one up!

I wanted the kids to understand God's sovereignty in this situation, to grasp how good He is even in in the midst of war.

"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for
battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my
shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. ...Deliver me and
rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right
hands are deceitful. " Psalm 144:1-2,11

Even though God did not choose to rescue Troy in the way we tend to think of, God rescued him from sin and from this world and brought Troy to Himself.