One Year.

 This little girl is starting to have her own look.  You know how there are times when it just seems like a baby is growing into her own skin?  A little less baby...a little more kid.  This happened recently.  Just in time for her 1st birthday yesterday!

Family came for lunch and Strawberry Shortcake. (our kids don't get much sugar until they are 2, so Strawberry Shortcake has been the 1-year birthday tradition.  It's the biscuit-type variety, not the sponge-cake variety.)

The same candle that has lit up three birthdays over the years...

Lunch menu: Ham and Swiss Stromboli, Italian Stromboli, Gogo's Cabbage Salad, Veggies with Grandma Meyer's Dip, and Fruit.

Wow...this is the most sugar I've had in this mouth yet.

Malia was excited to give Aliza the needlepoint she made with the kit she got for Christmas.

I thought it was pretty sweet.  It will be hanging in Aliza's room soon. 

See what I mean about growing into her own person?

She is looking different!

She loves to be with her sisters and do whatever they are doing.  And Malia and Josie are so good at playing with her!  Their current favorite activity is to all crawl around the hallway (it goes full circle) "chasing" each other.  Squeals of delight from all three.

Happy Birthday Aliza Belle!

CHRISTMAS.

I haven't posted in ages.  So this will be a MEGA-post with all the Christmas photos.

Hold on to your seats.

IN TOPEKA...

Skyping with Nate's sister's family in Central Asia.

(I contemplated not putting this photo on here due to Josie's shirtless-ness.  But I did anyway. :)

the baby bassinets made by Gogo!

IN BERN...

the cousins (minus 2 babies and 1 in utero) 

the busy Grandparents/my Parents 

 the Great-Granparents/my Grandparents.

A rousing game of Pig Mania...

which this little girl won. :)

 Do you know Pig Mania?  I grew up playing it at my Grandparents' house.

Have you ever looked closely at the picture on the cup?

What the heck?  I have no idea....

Seriously, anybody?

Ooooo....the "leaning jowler".  Big points there.

A very energetic wrestling match...

Good Eats.

 

AND HOME in MANHAPPINESS....

Playing with the doll clothes made by Grandma. :)

and slippers from Grandma and Grandpa.

 We had it pretty simple at home.

Here are the matching pajama pants I made for the girls's stockings.

and Hubby's. :)

Speaking of Christmas, I read a great article called "The Christmas Conundrum" a couple of weeks ago that was so challenging to me, in a good way!  We want to consider again our approach to Christmas and how we can celebrate the coming of Jesus in an authentic way.  Good read if, you're interested, found here!

Jam Sessions and Lessons from Narnia.

All three were playing at the same time this morning.

Aliza looked pretty proud that she could join in the fun. :)

......................................................................

Unrelated, I had a pretty sweet time today with Malia as she was reading and processing "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe".  She's been into the book for a couple of weeks.  Now understand that, though she understands much of the plot line, most of the symbolism is lost on her.  

I was working on Christmas gifts during nap/quiet time and all of a sudden I hear Malia start crying from the room she's in.  Like really sobbing.  I go in to see what is the matter and she has her book open.  "Mommy!  This page just said that Aslan is dead, and I really love him!"  She has tears running down her face.  "This is really sad!"

If you haven't read the book, Aslan is the God/Christ figure and in Narnia he has just been put to death by the Witch on a Stone Table.  Wanting to rescue my daughter from the sadness she is feeling, I am tempted to just tell her to not worry, he is coming back to life!  I suppress the urge to ruin the story for her, agree with her sadness, comfort her, and tell her I'd love to read the next part to her to see what happens.

She agrees and together we read the (pretty thrilling) tale of how Aslan comes back to life and explains to the weeping little girls in the story (whom Malia related with) how, though the Witch did indeed know some magic, it was limited, as her knowledge of it only began with the dawn of time.  If she could look farther back before time began, as Aslan could, she would know that "when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead the Table would crack and death itself would start working backwards."

Now, she didn't know the meaning of many of these words, so I began explaining them.  Already understanding that Aslan was "like God", she was quick to connect the Stone Table with the cross and the resurrection.  So it was fun to talk again about Christ's innocence, the punishment he took for the traitors, and about how the "deep magic" of God extends beyond any other power.

If you've never read The Chronicles of Narnia, it is never too late.  Nate reads these books about every other year or so.  They are written to be engaging for children, yet they are packed with imagery and symbolism of the gospel that, as an adult, is refreshing to read in a new context.  Great reads.  I hope my kids continue to enjoy them!

Away for awhile.

It's so nice to get away from the daily routine for a few days!

We were able to pack up the minivan and visit both families last week.

First in Topeka,

then in Bern.

Josie is sitting next to her cousin "twin". 

And today we finished our year-and-a-half-long school project.

It began with Malia cutting out pictures that started with each letter of the alphabet.

It later became more of a project that fit Josie, but Malia kept at it with us because she enjoys cutting and gluing. :)  I actually like doing a project that took that long because it teaches the girls to stick with something and encourages long-term vision and perseverance, rather than immediate gratification.

It wasn't complexity that made it take so long.  Craft projects at this house are rarely flashy.  It was just something we would get out here and there whenever we remembered it.  We used things we had.  The paper is recycled, so the printed words you see are not part of the project.

The girls are having fun "reading" it. :)  Love to see them excited about something they accomplish!