Christmas... the hap happiest season of all!

Since we last spoke... well so much has happened and so many epic pictures have been taken... but let's start from the beginning... or a reasonably good place to start, that offers something of interest.

I turned 31, and enjoyed having some crazy hair, for awhile. And, since then, I have enjoyed (to the delight of my wife) a trip to a barber. My first time to visit one, I really liked it, and it's good to be back to 'normal'. I had a great birthday! Thanks Diane for making it so special.

We really enjoyed having Kelsey and Patrick visit for Thanksgiving break. The Friday after Thanksgiving Kelsey took our family to a museum and got us a pass to go back again and again. It was so much fun, and Asher wanted a picture with almost every exhibit. Sorry Diane :).

A week after Thanksgiving saw snowmaggedon hit Dallas. Ice covered us and closed everything down from Friday to Monday. Finally on Tuesday schools reopened and we got to get out. So the weather was frightful, and the fire was delightful :). Our kids made smoores, and enjoyed playing in the ice.

The ice storm gave us plenty of time to get lots done around the house... and then we ran out of things to do, and put up all our Christmas stuff. The boys had a blast helping Diane with the tree! 

In the middle of the ice weekend we had our Family Christmas party, thankfully most everybody was able to make it there and back again (a Robbins journey). One thing we discovered at the party was how good our kids are at dancing? 



This past Friday we had our MK Christmas party. We had a lot of fun eating food from around the world and making gingerbread houses and just being together. I love my job!

This is such a great picture of Charlie getting into the Christmas spirit. Hot drinks for everybody. The animals have been getting a little crazier then normal with all this winter weather keeping them inside. 

One of the things I'm enjoying as my kids get older is their ability to be involved in church and school programs. Here are Creed and Asher in the church program. So cute... watch Creed keep the beat in the 'Drummer Boy' song. So funny. 

We enjoyed our last youth group meeting this past Monday. We did our annual tradition of singing and sharing with the retiree's at the Cowan Apartments. I always look forward to it every year. Then we went and watched a great movie called "The Star of Bethlehem". It's a documentary about... yeah you guessed it... the Star of Bethlehem. Really neat stuff! 

This week I have been enjoying spending more time with my parents in the mornings and getting odds and ends done around the office. This weekend my family will embrace with great joy the coming of family from North and South. They will descend on us like a mighty showering of Christmas cheer and bring mirth to all. At any rate I'm looking forward to seeing everybody and glad to have family around for Christmas. 

Thanks for sharing in this journey with me! I'm delighted to have you along for the ride! Next year will begin with some incredible adventures... the first being Thailand 2014. Thanks for your prayers and support as we look forward to what God has planned for us. For now I'm enjoying the 'calm' with my family looking forward to eggnog, pumpkin pie, and some great conversations around the fire. 

Thinking of this song as I bring a close to this entry, hope you take the time to read through the lyrics and they touch your heart as they have mine. God you are so awesome and amazing! Thank you for sending us your son! Emanuel.. God Is With Us!

Welcome to Our World by Chris Rice

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting

Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home
Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence

Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us

Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

Merry Christmas from me and the whole family to all! 

And to all a good night... or whenever you read this, a good whatever :)