One Thousand Gifts, Christmas Edition: 801-825

801. Advent hymns
802. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
803. Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
804. Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
805. Christmas hymns
806. Joy to the World
807. O Holy Night
808. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
809. O Come, All He Faithful
810. Singing these hymns in anticipation of the second coming of Jesus
811. Christmas songs
812. Sleigh Ride
813. Jingle Bells
814. Silver Bells
815. It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas
816. Christmas movies
817. Christmas in Connecticut
818. A Christmas Story
819. It's a Wonderful Life
820. Sharing Christmas traditions--sacred and secular--with the munchkins
821. Christmas lights with cousins
822. Annual cookie decorating with Honey
823. Visits with family
824. The joy children find in bows and bubble wrap
825. The heart of Christmas: the Savior in the manger

Annie update

Hope you enjoy these out-takes from our Christmas card photo shoot. Can't believe my baby girl will be five on her next birthday! Glad we are going to do kindergarten at home because I am just not ready for her to leave me. ;) Annie is learning to read, loves to make up stories, play dress up and imaginative games with Jacob, is spunky, determined, and never forgets anything. She likes Fancy Nancy and Frances and Amelia Bedelia books, bossing her siblings around, and being my helper when she wants to be. So glad this sunshine-y girl is mine!

One Thousand Gifts, 776-800

776. Rainy Mondays.
777. Catching up with friends who've moved away.
778. Friends who are doctors.
779. Homemade cheesecake.
780. The joy Annie and Jacob are finding in our Jesse Tree devotions.
781. Nora finally giving up her 5am nursing.
782. Putting together bikes for the big kids for Christmas.
783. Sounding out words with Annie.
784. Watching Annie and Jacob sing with the children's choir.
785. Seeing the zoo lights with cousins.
786. Watching Sophie give Santa Claus a high five...from the safety of her stroller.
787. Nora's crying at Santa picture.
788. Making memories and keeping up traditions.
789. Getting my Christmas cards mailed.
790. Sausage and white bean soup with homemade bread.
791. Planning Christmas menus.
792. Spending evenings reading.
793. Less television watching.
794. Trips to the library.
795. Trips to the science center.
796. Playdates with friends old and new.
797. An ice-cold Coca-Cola on a 72 degree December day.
798. Date nights with the Gent!
799. Preliminary thoughts on celebrating Nora's first birthday.
800. Reading Christmas stories with the munchkins.

Sophie's First Haircut

Sophie got her hair cut for the first time last week. She wasn't too sure at first but she came around and did great. She's a big girl now.

:) and :(

not entirely sure about this


before


maybe this isn't so bad


after


she's a big girl now!

Nick Turns Nine

Our second fur baby has finally outgrown his puppy years and is beginning to look quite distinguished with his sweet white face. Chicken jerky still brings out the puppy, though! Happy birthday, Nick-meister!

One Thousand Gifts, 751-775

751. Plenty of dinners in the freezer.
752. Christmas cards arriving in the mail.
753. Annie and Jacob's enthusiasm over all things Christmas.
754. Wonder in their eyes as they stare at the tree.
755. Hearing them tell our visitors the story of as many ornaments as they can remember.
756. A family Christmas celebration with Nana and her clan this weekend.
757. That this week's to-do list is more manageable.
758. Watching Annie dance at parent day.
759. Seeing how much she has grown since our last dance class foray.
760. Hearing my kids' teachers compliment them.
761. All this hard work of parenting is paying off--or at least God gives me glimpses of it!
762. A slower season at work for the Gent.
763. Family day to see the model train display and eat lunch at Moe's.
764. The long list of family and friends to address Christmas cards to.
765. Homemade bread.
766. Clean dishes. Even if they do still need to be put away.
767. The internet, my laptop, and my smartphone.
768. Spending time with other foster parents.
769. Catching up with old friends and seeing their babies growing up!
770. A sweet hubby who gets up early to make from-scratch biscuits and bring them to me in bed on Saturday.
771. Holding a sleeping baby.
772. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.
773. Joy to the World.
774. Handel's Messiah.
775. Advent services at church.

Nora: Ten Months

So she's pretty much the cutest baby ever and we love our Nora Mae to pieces. This month Nora has mastered crawling, pulling herself to standing, waving bye-bye, clapping, playing "so big," and many more exciting baby accomplishments. Her siblings love to cheer her on. Nora continues to talk to us all the time, and loves to eat and squeal. She is learning to sit in my lap and read a board book instead of just chewing on it. She is wearing 9-12 month clothes and size 3 diapers. Her sleeping got all off track last month because we were out of town for three long weekends, but we are getting back into sleeping a straight stretch from 10pm-6am. Mama has plans to drop that 6am feeding this month and the 10pm one by her first birthday. Each baby gets more and more time before I make them give up those night-time and early morning feedings, because they are so sweet and sleepy and cuddly then! Can't believe how quickly my baby girl is growing up!