Merry Christmas 2015

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  

John 3:16

Star Wars

Star Wars premiered in Brussels last Wednesday night.  Hubby's office had gotten tickets together (eons in advance) and we wives were included in the fun, even attempting to do our best Leia buns to celebrate.  

In honor of this event, the kids and I decided to forgo the usual Christmas cookies.  Instead, we made Wookie Cookies!

Cut out gingerbread dough using a gingerbread man cutter, then use a fork to create "fur."  Bake.  Then decorate and enjoy!

Co-op Christmas

On our last day of co-op classes, the preschoolers and primary classes put on a Nativity play.  Dandelion #3 was Joseph.  (I thought my girly-girl might be upset about that, but she thought it was great.)  Dandelion #4 was a wise man.  The mom who produced and directed did such a great job with them.

It's a co-op tradition to end our fall classes with a Christmas party where we build gingerbread houses, exchange secret santa gifts, and spend the day celebrating together.  

Secret Santa exchange

The family that hosts our party each year does such an awesome job!  This year, they created a photo booth.  

Fall Birthdays

The fall birthdays from October and November...our babies are getting so BIG!

Dandelion #1 turned TEN!

You blink and boom, there goes a decade!

He had the special privilege of the Wammies being with him to celebrate!  It was extra special to celebrate his double-digits with them, as they are his Godparents and have been praying for him since before he was born.

Sweet young man!  You are sensitive, serious, focused, and most importantly, you love the Lord.  We love you so much!

Dandelion #3 turned SIX!

She didn't have a party last year, so it was her turn to celebrate a little bit bigger...

She had a princess tea party...

As always, on her actual birthdate, we had pancakes for breakfast.

Minnie and Mickey Mouse

Beautiful girl!  You LOVE to sing and dance, you are a leader and you make friends every where you go.  We are excited to see what God has in store for you!

Dublin, Ireland

We had the privilege of sponsoring (think, AF assigned relocation specialists) an incoming family this past June. The G fam are a fun couple who have become good friends and were wild and crazy enough to propose traveling with our whole brood.  So, off we went for a long weekend to Dublin, Ireland!

We stayed in a great location near Temple Bar where there was all kinds of yummy food.

The highlights of the trip included a Viking Tour...

Touring St. Patrick's Church...

Touring Trinity College and seeing the Book of Kells, then learning lots at a Viking museum...

The view from our apartment:

Christ Church

(Where incidentally my purse was pickpocketed.  NOT the highlight of the trip.  God was so good to return my wallet with only the cash missing.  A sweet family found it hours later and called us.  Praise Him for that blessing!)

One day, we took a bus tour across the country to the west coast.

Views along the motorway...just a little castle here and there...

We arrived on the western coast of Ireland and explored the Cliffs of Moher.

Irish Shamrocks!

Our tour continued along the coastline, up to Galway, but we stopped to explore the rocky shoreline.

A leprechaun castle.

One of the most hilarious memories of the whole trip was a potty stop at a gas station in the middle of Ireland that was called, "The Obama Centre."

For real.  

I'm just gonna leave you pondering and laughing at that one...